The Ultimate Plan
by robsessed4eva
Summary: Bella Swan-Thirty Million Dollars. Edward Masen- Professional Thief. Add the two and you get… The Ultimate Plan.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Okay, so this is the first time I'm actually writing a proper fanfic, with a proper plot and everything. And it's a collab with one of my friends (we're sharing the same account). So if we mess it up, it's her fault :P We'll probably update once a week (on saturdays) but we'll be putting up the first chapter tomorrow. That's it I guess…hope you guys enjoy the fanfic :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Stephanie Meyer takes the credit for that :(**

**But I do own the plot. :)**

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**PROLOGUE**

**Headlines:**

March 27, 2010

_"New-York heiress, Lauren Malory, had allegedly lost her fortune. The heiress who came into a trust-fund of five million dollars has been the victim of a scam, sources claim, orchestrated by the notorious Volturi gang, who have long been suspected as the perpetrators of such crimes almost 13 times in the past two years." -New York Times_

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November 19, 2010

_"It seems that the Volturi has struck again. Angela Webber, daughter of the famous businessman Arnold Webber, who passed away last year, has lost her fortune of seven million dollars, which she acquired recently on her last birthday. The heiress, as predicted, is greatly distressed to have been the victim of such a scam, and is said to have gone into shock." - Los Angeles Times_

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May 13, 2011

_"Yet another scam has been reported, this time having struck rising movie star, Tanya Denali. The actress is furious, having incurred a loss of ten million dollars, the biggest sum ripped off so far, and has reported her suspicions of the culprit to the police. Sources have confirmed that Ms. Denali has provided the police with a basic description of the criminal, but has been unable to give exact details." - Malibu Times_

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September 15, 2011

**BPOV**

At 21, he stole my heart away. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing he stole from me...

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**A/N: I know that the prologue's pretty short, but I can promise that the next chapter's gonna be longer. That's it…don't forget to hit the review button below :D**


	2. The Target

**DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own the characters :( (I really hate Stephanie Meyer when I think of this :P)**

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Chapter 1- The Target

EPOV

I walked along the smooth marbled corridor and paused briefly at the huge black door in front of me. Then, taking a deep breath, I entered. My bosses, all three of them, were sitting in the great hall on throne-like chairs with uncharacteristically happy expressions and in deep conversation. None of them bothered to look up at me and I stood there, waiting.

Laid out on the table in front of them was probably the biggest project of my career. The prize- 5 million dollars. Tearing my eyes away from the paperwork I looked up at the trio- Aro, Marcus and Caius. They were the founders of the organization, the leaders, the bosses. They were the ones who ruled the Volturi. For the first time since I entered, they raised their heads as if suddenly reminded of my presence.

Aro was the first to speak. "Do you know what is laid out in front of you?" I nodded mutely.

His dark eyes were glinting dangerously and his expression was bordering on the verge of psychotic.

"Then you must know exactly how important it is for this operation to go smoothly. We can't risk a single fucking mistake. Is that clear?"

His words were delivered in a cold, calculated tone and somehow that was more frightening than if he had shouted.

"Crystal," I replied in the same distant monotone I had been speaking in since I joined the Volturi. His black eyes met my green ones and although he tried to hide it, I could see the grudging respect he had for me. My ability to control my emotions almost till I had none had served me well, moving me swiftly through the ranks and finally bringing me to this position. After the three, it was I who was considered boss, despite my joining the Volturi just three years ago. Needless to say, I had quite a few enemies within the Volturi, but I knew I was never in danger- those assholes were terrified of me.

A slight movement in my periphery made me turn my head and I saw a small figure enter the room. Ah, Jane- one of my adversaries. She was probably the only one I would actually call competent. Her petite form and angelic face disguised the devil inside and those who experienced it could never forget.

Shooting me an angry glare, she walked in and stood beside me. Her face now developed a childlike scowl.

"I still think I'm better suited for the operation Caius," she said, looking directly at the blond on the left side of Aro.

It was no secret that she and Caius had a unique bond due to their mercilessly vivacious personalities and violent tendencies. Of course, it was also rumored that the two often displayed the tendencies in bed as well. But, whatever the reason, she was Caius' pet and the bitch knew it.

I kept my calm. There was no way in hell she was going for this and Caius obviously knew it, judging from his scowl. But then again, I couldn't recall a time when he wasn't scowling so it really wasn't an assurance. Aro's next words however served as one.

"We have been over this Jane. Considering the..._ delicacies_ of this project, sending Masen would be more prudent." Typical Aro. Only he could make a robbery sound so sophisticated that it almost seemed like a legal activity.

This deflated Jane and she sank back sullenly. Meanwhile, Aro turned his attention towards me. "These are the details of your new target. I need these memorized by tomorrow. Failure is completely unacceptable and completely punishable."

With that, I was dismissed. Collecting the papers from the table, I walked out. A few seconds later, Jane followed. Apparently, the bitch had been shooed out by her masters. I smirked internally, _'That's right, I'm da man.'_

Damn, definitely spent too much time with Emmett.

Ah yes, Emmett- the inevitable nuisance in my life. Emmett and I met in college. We both had the same interests- sports and chicks. He was a year older than me- him being 26, while I was 25- and he frequently reminded me of that in his infuriating manner. But somehow, I never quite managed to get rid of the big dope.

Speaking of, where the hell was he? The answer came to me instantly and I groaned. Ever since that blonde bitch had sunk her claws into him, Emmett seemed permanently at her service. Now, I had nothing against Rosalie. Hell, I even respected her for taming Em's wild ass. But it's fucking annoying to see the two of them together _all the damn time_! Whatever, this was important. Rose would just have to come second this time.

I dialed his number. "Wassup Mase?"

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Get your ass to Starbucks in five. And please, for once, come alone. I have something to tell you."

Even though Emmett was my closest friend, I hadn't told him very much about the project. I didn't want to say anything until I was absolutely positive I was going to get it, but now, looking down at the papers I smiled, a rare sight in the past few years. No matter how much Aro doubted me, I knew I wouldn't mess this up- no way in hell. After all, this was my last assignment. After receiving the 5 mil, I'd be off, away from this forever.

Strictly speaking, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about my work outside the Volturi. Hell, my fucking family didn't even know about it. But it was hard keeping anything from the nosy ass. He would have found out invariably, so telling him the truth was the better option. And it was a good decision. Despite the fact that he was heels over head in love with Rosalie, he hadn't told her a word about my… _profession_.

As I approached the door to exit the Volturi mansion, I saw a group of people fall silent at my presence. I had gained the reputation of a heartless bastard over the years, but I didn't mind- it was true after all. So to see people cut off mid-conversation at my sight was quite common. They were scared shitless by me, and I preferred to keep things that way.

Barely sparing them a glance, I walked out and made my way to meet Emmett. He was there at a table, his bulky physique intimidating in a black muscle tee. Or well, would have been if the oaf wasn't smiling, showing off his dimples and looking more or less like a teddy bear. I still don't know what Rosalie saw in him. But then again, I don't know what he saw in her either so…oh well, to each it's own.

I ordered a cappuccino and laid out the papers in front of me. His eyes widened after a few moments as he read the details. "Holy shit Mase! 30 fucking million dollars! Damn! And you got it? How much is your share anyways?"

"Five million," I grinned.

His jaw dropped,"If I had known this was the kind of money you made, I would have made you pay a lot more of the rent than you do now."

Right, apart from being my best friend, he was also my roommate. Lucky me (note the sarcasm). Well, I definitely wouldn't have to share an apartment once this operation was successful.

"Whoa, Mase?" Emmett's voice brought me back.

"What?" I asked irritably

"What's your plan? The usual?" he queried.

At my nod, he said,"You'd better be careful with this one. Doesn't seem very likely to play like your other bimbos. You'll have a hard time with this one. You're gonna need a better, more gentle approach. Be your usual cocky self, and the chick will dump your ass quicker than you can say 'five million'."

"I'm not an idiot, Em," Honestly, did he think I didn't realize this? "I know exactly how to deal with her type. And I can tell you from my experience, it's always the quiet ones who end up the wildest." Another grin. _Damn, I miss Angela_ _sometimes. You could never have guessed it of her under her thick-framed glasses and innocent face._

"Whatever, man. I know how important this is for you. Just be careful," His concern was touching (again the sarcasm).

Glancing at the photo of my target I smirked. She was a pretty little thing, my next target. The job was simple really. All my previous loots were. Find an heiress, preferably orphaned and single, seduce her, take her money and flee. If anything, the job was fun… at least the seducing part. Of course, getting the money was not too bad either, I thought with grin.

I looked at all the details casually. Nothing of interest. Age- 20 years, attended college at University of Washington, parents passed away a couple of years ago and of course, coming into a trust fund in a few weeks, on her 21st birthday- a staggering 30 million dollars!

The brown eyes stared out innocently and stood out on the pale face. She definitely had charm, although apparently virginal if that childlike face was any indication.

Huh, that wouldn't be the case for very long. I knew the effect I had on women with my startlingly good looks, if I do say so myself. Angular features, sex-hair of an unusual bronze color that woman loved to run their hands through, and of course, my famous panty-dropping crooked grin- I had all the weapons I required when it came to my job.

_Oh yes_, I thought, _I was going to have a lot of fun on my new and last mission. Isabella Marie Swan and her fortune of 30 million dollars wouldn't know what hit them._

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**A/N: Review for a sneak-peak of the next chapter!**


	3. First Encounter

**A/N: Okay, as promised, here is the next chapter. I want to thank all the people who have put this story on alert! :D But, I am hoping for more reviews this time (I know, I'm greedy- so sue me!)**

**DISCLAIMER: As usual, no, I do NOT own twilight! (Stop rubbing it in :P)**

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Chapter 2

First Meeting

**EPOV**

I parked the car in the parking lot and got out. It was drizzling a bit. I looked around and saw the small, off-campus coffee shop. I waited for a few seconds and then stepped inside the shop. It was warm and cozy and the smell of coffee and vanilla was overpowering.

I scanned the shop for my target and spotted her in line behind a short, bald man. I went and stood behind her, closer than necessary.

She had luscious brown hair, flowing down in tresses almost till her mid- back. Her loose T-shirt and baggy pants didn't really show her figure, but I could make out from her slender arms that she had a petite physique. I knew, from my previous observations of her, that her skin was extremely pale- but not in a pasty way, in a smooth creamy way. Nothing special to look at, but I could have done a lot worse. I still shudder when I think of one of my previous quests, the faux queen- Lauren. Nothing in her had been real- right from her bleached blonde hair to her fake acrylic nails.

I had also noticed, in my observations, that Isabella, or Bella as she preferred to be called, was unnaturally clumsy and it was her clumsiness that was going to be the biggest advantage in the first phase of my plan.

The line moved forward and she ordered a cappuccino with double cream. While she waited for her order, she looked around the shop and hummed some random tune. The guy behind the counter pushed her cup of coffee with his number written on it towards her with a hopeful smile. I rolled my eyes. _Fucking idiot_.

She grabbed her cup of coffee and being the klutz that she was, turned and bumped right into me. _Score!_ I thought, as the plan was going exactly the way I had wanted it to go- and she didn't even spill the coffee!

I grabbed her shoulders to steady her and said, "Whoa there! Watch your step!"

Her head snapped up. Her huge, brown eyes looked up and widened upon roaming about my face. I smirked internally- this was everyday news. I got the same reaction from each and every female. Honestly, it was getting fucking old and was starting to piss me off. But sometimes, it definitely worked to my advantage, like today. Cue internal smirk.

She gave an embarrassed smile started mumbling apologies in a low voice. I took the chance to introduce myself. Tossing her a smile that melted each and every woman I said,

"Hello, I'm Anthony Masen," the lie came out so fluently, as though I had been practicing for years.

Well, okay, I had been using the name for quite some time. Apart from my family and Emmett, no one knew my real name. I suspected Aro did, since the standard procedure was to check the background of anyone entering the Volturi, but he never called me by my real name. To the world, I was Masen, and to Isabella Swan- Anthony Masen. I guess it wasn't a false name, it _was_ my middle name. But she didn't know that…and she never will.

With some effort, I focused on the conversation again I asked,"What's your name?"

She blushed- fucking _blushed_- and looked down. She quickly met my eyes again and said, "Um… I'm Bella, Bella Swan.'' _As if I didn't know_, I thought.

"I'm really sorry for bumping into you…I'm exceptionally clumsy and I…" I cut her off, "It's not a problem."

Then, taking a risk, I decided to be a bit forward, " Do you want to sit down together somewhere?'' I flashed my crooked smile at her and prayed that it do the trick.

Emmett had warned me that she was different from the other chicks I had "worked" with in the past. I couldn't be cocky and arrogant to her- she didn't look the kind of chick that shit would fly by. I also knew that she was going to be difficult nut to crack. She was be one of _those _girls, the rare -and stupid-ones who were immune to my charm. I was expecting her to say no.

And I could tell she was about to, so I quickly added, "Consider it an apology for bumping into me."

Her face looked conflicted and she bit her bottom lip. One more nudge should do it,"Oh come on, I'm not going to stalk you, I promise" I flashed her a grin. _Yeah right.__  
_

To my surprise, she nodded once and started to walk towards a table. I smirked. _It's official, _I thought slyly, _you are completely irresistible Masen._

This was going exactly the way I had imagined it thousands of times. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have spared her another glance. But this was a matter of five fucking million dollars! I would do absolutely anything for it. And if it meant spending my time with this chick when I could be out doing better things, I would do it.

We both sat down and I moved into phase 2: trying to get as much information out of her without making her suspicious.

"So which course are you taking at U-Dub?" I asked her.

"Creative writing" she replied and took a sip of her coffee.

"Hmm... that's interesting." I said.

"So, what about you? What is your major?" she asked.

"Actually, I graduated from Dartmouth last summer." I replied.

"Wow! Dartmouth huh?" she looked impressed. "So what was your major there?"

"Chemical engineering." I replied.

I had actually graduated from Dartmouth as an engineer. But then I came across the Volturi, it just seemed like the better option at the time. Yeah, my degree from Dartmouth went to waste but I was young and I wanted to enjoy my life at that time. And this seemed like the perfect job for it. I got to seduce rich, (and gorgeous if I was lucky) girls and then run off with their fortunes.

But over the years, I got fucking bored of doing the same thing every time. There was nothing challenging about it. That's why, this was my last assignment. But I had a feeling this assignment was going to be a different and challenging one.

She didn't say anything after that so I quickly switched the topic back to her. I kept on asking her questions as if I was trying to get to know her. To my surprise, she didn't seem worried about talking about herself to a complete stranger. We sat there for almost an hour and I pried each and every detail from her.

She finished her coffee and said, "Well, I better get going. I have a paper due tomorrow."

I put on a wistful expression and said, "It was great talking to you. I'd love to meet you again soon."

Yeah, right._ It's for five million Masen, five million…you have to do it_! I thought.

She blushed- for the millionth time that day- and said, "It was nice talking to you too."

I waited for her to say something else but she didn't. She seems like the girl who let others take the lead. _That is definitely going to work in my favor, _I thought.

So taking matters into my own hands I asked for her number and promised to call her soon. She blushed again, mumbled a goodbye and left.

I sat there thinking about the plan. I knew that she was going to be different from the other bimbos I usually had to deal with. And I had a feeling that once I seduced her, it was going to be difficult to shake her off. She seemed like the clingy type.

_But I can do it_, I thought. After all, it is Edward Mason we are talking about- the guy who brought down some of the richest and most powerful women on their knees- and I do mean literally. _Bring it on_. I smirked at the loser behind the counter who gave his number to Bella and left.

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**A/N: Hit the button below and review to get a preview of chapter 3! We'll put it up next Saturday officially. Until then…:D**


	4. Proceedings

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or the characters :(**

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_~ One Week Later ~_

**EPOV**

I glanced at the mirror once again, making sure I looked more or less sophisticated. Today was a big day for my plan. After endlessly boring conversations with Bella, putting up with her shy attitude, I had finally made my next move. I asked her out on a date with me…and she said yes.

I don't know why I was feeling so conscious though. I had done this before so many times, so I wasn't exactly afraid of messing it up. But I suppose since it was my last job, I wanted it to be the best- something memorable. Also, although I would never admit it to anyone, being with Bella somehow made me feel like a high school boy, going on his first date, instead of the experience seducer I was.

She was so innocent, so naive in the way she talked that it was hard to believe she was a 21 year old woman. It wasn't as though she was incapable of holding a serious and mature conversation. On the contrary, she was probably one of the wisest of her age and her opinions and observations were profound. But the way she blushed at any innuendo, the way she averted her eyes when talking of anything sexual in nature was what made her seem younger than she was.

I had been right in my first guess- she was indeed a virgin. After blushing and stumbling on her words, she had finally admitted this to me. I suppose I should feel guilty I was about to rob the girl of her virginity, amongst other things, but being the heartless bastard I was, I frankly didn't give a fuck. If anything, the chick should be grateful to me. If nothing else, I was definitely going to make this the best experience of her life.

I smirked at myself in the mirror. Although she had the most boring life on earth, I had to admit she was quite amusing…or at least, the reactions were. I remember the day I asked her out. Coincidentally, it was also the day either of us mentioned how ridiculously rich she was…

_~Flashback~_

_I was out for a morning jog in a park near where Bella lived (purely accidentally, of course) when I 'bumped' into her doing the same. Now, I had absolutely NO idea that it was her routine to go jogging from 7 am to 7:30, so you can imagine my surprise when I met her._

_"Bella!" I cried in fake astonishment. "It's good to see you. Are you here for a morning jog as well?"_

_The question pathetic, since she was in a blue tracksuit, iPod in hand and a bit out of breath, her chest heaving slightly. But being the simpleton she was, she didn't find the question stupid at all._

_" Oh hi Anthony. Yes, I come here almost every morning for about half an hour. Didn't I ever mention that?" In our conversations over the last few days, she had become a lot more at ease with me, no longer stuttering over every word. She almost sounded like a normal human now._

_Pretending to think it over, I answered,"No, I don't believe you did. Oh well, it's a good thing I bumped into you today. I haven't got my music with me so it would be nice to have some company."_

_Giving her my crooked smile, I gave her hand a little tug and we started off at a reasonable pace. Somewhere along the middle, I asked,_

_"So, do you live anywhere nearby? "_

_"Um, yes, I do. In fact, I live right there," she said, pointing to a mansion which was slightly visible from where we stood. _

_This was no news to me. I already knew that she lived in one of the biggest fucking mansions in all of Seattle. I also knew for a fact that it held a fortune of 30 million dollars in a huge vault inside. Bella's dear parents were not so big on banks. They preferred to have their money right under their nose all the time. Needless to say, the vault was loaded with security. _

_But the positive was that everything was automated. Apart from being distrustful of banks, Bella's parents were extremely suspicious of anyone out of the family, and security guards for the vault was something they deemed more dangerous than not. As a result, the vault had the highest automated security possible, one that required voice as well as handprint recognition before it opened…namely, Bella's, but absolutely no manual protection._

_So basically, once you had the requisites, getting the fortune (all of which was in cash!) was a piece of cake. This was the reason it was crucial for me to get into the house, the reason I was chosen over Jane. And I was well on my way…_

_Once again pretending to be baffled, I exclaimed," Wow, that's a big house. You must be extremely wealthy."_

_Not the most tactful way to go about it, but I was getting frustrated. Not once in our previous encounters had Bella brought up the fact that she was fucking loaded. Hell, even the way she dressed suggested that she was from a typical middle-class family instead of an heiress._

_Looking uneasily at me, she said quietly, "I suppose you can say that. But more than big, the house is just empty and lonely…" She trailed of wistfully, a tendency she exhibited when she was reminded of her parent's absence._

_" Hey, don't say that," I said sympathetically. "If you think about it, the house completely loaded… with all your memories. And you're lucky to still have it." What a load of bullshit. I had no idea I was capable of this sappy crap._

_Then, more quietly I murmured,"I wish I had had that choice…" At this point, it was I who was uncomfortable. This was probably the first thing I had told her about me that wasn't a lie. I should not have brought up something so personal, but this seemed my way in for me- the way I could finally get her to open up to me fully. Nonetheless, I wasn't too pleased to have to share this._

_She seemed to have notice my unease, but interpreted it to be something else entirely, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. When did it happen?"_

_Well, I might as well say the truth, "When I was six. It was probably the most cliched incident- a car accident when they were on the way home from a business dinner. Some drunk driver crashed into them and they died almost instantly. And the worst part was, that bastard survived. It was _his_ fault, and he still survived. He's probably still alive, polluting the air with every breath he takes…" _

_Anger seeped into my voice by the end and the pain I had kept locked away long ago bubbled to the surface. I felt Bella's hand press down on my arm gently, and neither of us said anything for a while, lost in our reverie._

_I hadn't noticed that we had stopped jogging and were now sitting on a bench. Bella kept her head on my shoulder and I put my arm around hers as we sat in comfortable silence._

_After a few moments, she enquired hesitantly, "What happened after that?"_

_I let out a sigh, "I was initially sent to an orphanage. But fortunately, unlike the rest of the children, I didn't have to stay there very long. A family asked to adopt me after about six months of my stay there and after some paperwork, I left with a new family."_

_It was her turn to be sympathetic now, "That must have been hard for you."_

_"Not really. My family is wonderful, more than I could have ever hoped for. They never forced me to do anything, or asked me to share my pain. They're probably the kindest and most understanding people alive. At times, I don't feel I deserve them."_

_"Nonsense!" Bella chided gently. She had a shy smile on her face, "I can't imagine anyone more deserving of happiness than you."_

_You see, right there was a first class example of why I wanted to get this over with as fast as I could. The chick evoked feelings in me that were best buried away and she reminded me of myself more than I liked._

_Throwing caution to the wind, I took a deep breath and looked into her eyes,"Bella, I've been thinking about you a lot lately and I really _really_ like you. Would you like going out on a date with me?"_

_My obvious change of the subject startled her slightly before color steadily seeped into her cheeks. Ah! There's the blush I had been missing for some time. _

_Looking down at the ground, she answered softly, "I'd love to Anthony."_

_Giving her the most delighted smile I could muster, I gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me as I said, "Thank you. I'll pick you up at eight tomorrow."_

_Pecking her cheek lightly, I started jogging away from her, leaving her cheeks burning._

_~Flashback~_

And so it was- I had a date with Isabella Swan. Checking the time, I saw it was 7:30 pm. Giving myself a once over in the mirror, I grabbed the bouquet of orchids (which she had told me were here favorite) and made my way to my jackpot of thirty million dollars.

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**A/N: Okay, so I know that we're jumping ahead pretty fast…but that's how we planned it (we know what you don't :P)**

**Their first date is coming up next…review for a teaser :D (actually, review even if you don't want it!)**

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	5. The Date

**A/N: So here it is…the date!**

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Chapter 4- The Date

EPOV

I drove to the Swan mansion, taking in the huge house once again. The long driveway that lead to the main door was flanked on either sides by two gardens, both of which had a fountain in the middle.

I paused for a moment at the enormous doors, and then, at exactly at eight, I rang the bell. I had to wait only for a few moments before the door was answered and the doors swung open to reveal my date.

I have to admit my eyes widened for a moment. She was wearing a midnight-blue dress that stopped just above her knees, hugging her body sensuously and revealing curves I had not known existed. Her black heels accentuated her long, creamy legs in the worst way possible. She had left her luscious, wavy hair open and it was cascading down her slender shoulders in waves.

When I finally looked at her face, I was astonished. Gone was the Bella I had come to know in the past weeks, replaced by an exquisite beauty. Her fair face seemed to glow as red crept into it, her lips were full and red and she was biting her lower lip gently, in an unknowingly seductive manner. Her dark, chocolate eyes were big and round, and seemed to be looking right into my soul.

She looked, for once, like the rich heiress she was. For a second I didn't know what to say. _Get a fucking grip on yourself Masen! It's just Bella! You are never speechless in front of a pretty chick, what's so different about her?_

I handed her the flowers and said, "You look very nice tonight."_What a fucking understatement. _

She blushed and mumbled, "Thank you. You look..._incredible_."

I grinned. _Yeah, this chick definitely knew how to boost my ego. I gained back the confidence that had temporarily left me._

"So, are you ready?" I asked her.

"Yeah, just let me grab my coat. Come in." she said. _Bingo!_

I stepped inside and looked around. The house was furnished tastefully with plush furniture, expensive crystal showpieces and hi-tech gadgets. It was the perfect balance between too showy and too modest. Like Bella herself, I guess.

I heard the click-clack of Bella's heels in the hallway and pretended to look around the house for the first time_. If only she knew the truth _I thought. I had the whole layout of the house memorized as if it were my own.

"Let's go, I'm ready." she said.

Gently, I took her hand and led her to my Volvo. I opened the car door for her and shut it after her. I got in my own seat and started the car.

"You don't seem like a Volvo guy." she said while looking at me sideways.

I smirked and asked, "Then what sort of a guy do I look like, hmm?"

She thought for a while and said, "Sports car."

I grinned at her and said, "I am a sports car kind of guy. I just didn't bring it tonight."

She was quiet for a while, and then asked me, "So what are we having tonight?"

"I thought we could have some Italian. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, Italian is one of my favorites." she said.

We reached the restaurant and I opened her was a posh kind of restaurant, one that generally impressed the ladies, but Bella wasn't like them, so I was a bit nervous when I stopped in front of it. She didn't say anything, however, simply getting out when I opened the door for her. I held out my hand towards her and gently led her towards the restaurant when she took it.

We stepped inside and the hostess looked up. Her eyes widened upon seeing me and I smirked at her. She gave me a sly smile and for some reason, Bella's hold on me tightened. I smirked again. _Women! _I thought.

In sickly sweet voice, she said, "Good evening. My name is Cora. Please follow me to your table."

She turned and started walking towards out table and we followed.

Smiling brightly she said, "Your server will be with you in a second." She gave me what she hoped was a seductive wink and left.

I smirked and sat down and for some reason Bella looked pissed.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing." she replied quietly.

Just then, the waiter came and handed us our menus. I scanned through it and decided on the grilled salmon. Bella ordered ravioli and some red wine.

"So…tell me about your parents. How was it like when they were... alive?" I asked her.

I was hoping to get any sort of info about her parents and their fortune.I had plenty of my own, but still. You can never be too careful on a job like this. Actually, make that fucking desperate. But I knew that I would have to be very careful with Bella as she was very emotional when it came to her parents. I could not afford to blow this.

"It was…amazing. I was very close to both of them especially to my mom. My mom was my best friend. I never had many friends, still don't, but she was always there for me. Dad was a bit more conservative. But we were close nevertheless. They…really loved me. I miss them a lot…" she trailed off.

She looked a bit teary so I decided to drop it for the moment.

The food came, so conversation was impossible for a while. She tucked in so hungrily that I couldn't resist teasing her.

"I have never seen a girl eat that fast before."

"Shut up! I'm really hungry!" she snapped but cracked a smile when she saw my teasing smile. "Besides, what gentleman would actually point that out to a girl?"

_Touche, Ms, Swan._

The rest of the evening passed pretty quickly and we played twenty questions while sharing a plate of tiramisu. I learnt quite a few facts about her which made me even more curious about her. She was nothing a 21 year old in her preferences- more like a forty year old. She liked to read classics, Austen and Bronte, for crying out loud!

She was obviously aware of that, and she either mumbled under her breath when she answered, or blushed profusely. All too soon, we finished our dinner and started to head out.

As we were leaving, the hostess looked at me with a wistful expression and said, "Come back soon!" a bit too eagerly. _Yeah, right_ I thought.

The ride back to her place was pretty quiet and none of us bothered to strike up another conversation. I was deep in thought about the plan. The plan was going exactly the way I wanted it to go.

It was just that Bella was quite different from the other chicks I had slept with. I knew that she would not sleep with me just after one date. She would not sink that low (no pun intended).

I also knew that it would be at least 5-6 dates over a period of a few weeks that she would finally give in. I was impatient, yes, (for a different purpose now that I've seen her looking like this) but in then end, no one could say no to _me_. I smirked internally.

However, there was something else. Apart from being innocent, she was…pure. And she was dangerous. She was evoking alien feelings in me. Feelings Edward Masen was not used to. It made me question myself.

I clenched my hands around the steering wheel. _No, I must do this right. I will do it. And I will not mess anything up._

We reached her mansion and I opened the door for her. She got out and I walked her to her front door.

She looked at me with a small smile and said, "Thanks for tonight. I had a great time."

"I did too." I said.

I don't know what possessed me to do what I did next, but for some reason, I started to lean down towards her. _Back up Masen, back up! _But it was too late for that.

Our faces were now an inch apart and I could smell her sweet vanilla perfume. Her brown eyes widened and met my green ones. I leaned down,very slowly, and pressed my lips softly against her plump, pink ones.

I didn't deepen the kiss or anything, just held my lips over hers gently. I pulled away slowly reluctantly after a few minutes, resisting the urge to run my fingers over my lips. She just looked up at me and smiled.

Stroking her cheek gently, I said,"I'll call you later, ok? Good night."

"Good night." she said and shut the door behind her.

_God Masen. What the fuck just happened? _I shook my head once and started towards my car. Once inside, I gave in to my earlier urge and lightly touched my lips. _Yes, Bella Swan was an extremely dangerous chick._

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**A/N: Please review (it's my birthday today! :D)**


	6. I Love You

**A/N: And, we're back. And so is Anthony the asshole. Go on…read already!**

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Chapter 5: I Love You

~_Two Weeks Later~_

EPOV

I was sprawled out on the bed with Bella snuggling into my side, her head resting on my outstretched arm comfortably. That's right, here I was- in Isabella Swan's house, lying on her bed. Now, I know what your perverted minds are thinking and no, we did not have sex (as much as I've tried). But at least, we aren't stuck on the kissing phase.

Bella had grown increasingly comfortable around me, and surprisingly, this was not the first time that I was seeing her room. In fact, most of our dates involved coming here. She had asked me to show her my house as well (as expected) so I took her to a small condo I had rented for this job specifically. It wasn't the most luxurious place, since I didn't really want her to ask me about my work a lot, but it was decent.

I could feel Bella gently tracing my face, her fingertips wandering over my cheekbones, my nose and my lips. I guess she wasn't very interested in the movie that was playing either. I turned slightly to face her and smiled.

"What are you thinking about?" she enquired.

"You," I answered truthfully.

Grabbing the remote from the bedside table I turned off the television, since it was apparent neither of us were paying attention. Then, propping myself on my elbow, with one hand under my head, I asked," What's wrong? You look a little…pale." _More than usual._

"I was just thinking about my birthday. I'll be turning 21, so I'll be coming into my... inheritance."

She glanced up at me and I kept my expression neutral with some effort. This subject had before brought up once before, the day she had asked me about my work, in fact. I had put her off saying that I was currently between jobs, to avoid her getting suspicious as to why I was never working and hung out with her all the time. It turns out, telling her about my parent's death was a good thing since I was able to make her believe that I was living off the trust fund.

That was how the topic of _her_ fortune came up. It was just a passing comment really. Bella hadn't gone into many details, dropping the subject immediately, and I hadn't pushed her to know about it. But now that she had brought up the topic, I was quite eager to know what she had to say.

Concealing my eagerness, I asked her casually, "Oh right. You've mentioned it before." I left it at that, indicating I wanted her to speak.

A few moments passed, I was a bit agitated. Why wasn't she saying something? What is wrong with her? Who states random facts about themselves and just leave it to that?

She must have noticed that I was waiting for her to continue.

"Yes, but I didn't really go into the details at the time. This…_trust fund_…is actually pretty huge." _No shit, Sherlock. Have you seen the size of this mansion?_

Bella was one of those people who were extremely modest about their wealth. She was always uncomfortable talking about it, much like she was now. Despite her intelligence, she was stupid enough to believe that just because she ignored the fact that she was a fucking heiress, the rest of the world would too.

Looking into her eyes, I adopted what I hoped was an encouraging expression. "Go on," I prodded her gently.

"It's worth about…um…_30milliondollars_." Her last words were spoken extremely fast, and if I had not known the amount already, I would have been confused. Nevertheless, I said gently, "Once again, a bit more slowly."

"Thirty. Million. Dollars." I rolled my eyes at her exaggerated slowness, and then raised my eyebrows as though her news had been startling. Her eyes roamed over my face, and I concluded that I had the correct expression when she spoke next.

"Yeah, I know. It's a bit hard to digest. I'm still only barely coping. But I wanted you to know everything about me. I didn't want to tell you this at first, because…well, you know…it's not very easy to trust someone like this," she said, in an apologetic tone.

Then continued, " But I think it's better for you to know. I don't want to hide anything from you. I trust you, Anthony."

You see, right there, you would have thought that I would feel a bit guilty. I mean, this chick was practically baring her soul to me and she didn't even know my damn name! But that was exactly the reason I couldn't fall for her- how could anyone be so gullible?

Whatever. Keeping up my charade, I cupped her face, "Thank you, for telling me. It means the world to me that you can open up to me like this." I kissed her softly, moving my lips over hers while stroking her hair.

When I pulled back, she surprised me by grabbing my face in her hands.

"Anthony, there's something else you should know. I know that you may not feel the same way about me, but I can't help it…_I've fallen in love with you." _Wow, that was the first time the L word had been mentioned. But oh well, what did it matter. It was, after all, only a word…at least, to me.

Putting one hand on top of hers, I kissed the palm briefly and said," I love you too, Bella. I'm so glad you feel the same way about me. God, you have_ no idea _how much I love you!" Well, that was true. I'm pretty sure she didn't know.

I pulled her face to mine once again, this time kissing her earnestly. Gently tracing, her bottom lip with my tongue, I deepened the kiss, clutching her closer towards me. I buried one hand in her hair, the other supported her neck. She moaned gently, and pulled back, her lips swollen and her hair slightly ruffled.

"There is something else I'd like to tell you. My parents, they weren't very trustful and avoided banks like the plague. So the money, its all here. In the house…in _cash._ This isn't something anyone knows, but I don't mind telling you." Her expression was extremely trusting, and okay, I _might _have felt just the tiniest tinge of guilt, but that was replaced by amusement.

This isn't something anyone knows? Sweetheart, the whole fucking world knows! It's practically a Facebook status! Seriously, was this chick so wrapped up in her own world that she expected something like this could be keep secret?

Once again, focusing on Bella I said, "Baby, your wealth does not interest me. All I care about is you, you're the only thing that matters to me." Lies! I half expected my pants to catch fire. Who knew I could spout such goddamn bullshit?

She snuggled in closer to me. Her eyes closed and she had the most peaceful expression on her face, as though she didn't have any worry in the world. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and they were a bit watery.

"Ever since my parents passed away, everyone's just been so focused on their wealth- like they don't even realize that they're gone! Oh sure, they were all very _understanding _and _sympathetic…_I just wanted to…to... _scream_. The only people I've ever trusted, ever loved are gone, but everyone expects me to be _happy_ because of the fortune."

The way she said it was a bit freaky. It wasn't in the same whiny tone she always used when talking of her folks- it was a cold, expressionless monotone as though she was talking about the weather. It reminded me of how I always spoke when I was in my, um, _office._

Her face, too, was blank, void of any emotion. I sat up, and moved her so her head was resting on my lap. Stroking her silky hair, I just held her as tears began to trickle down her cheek silently. Neither of us said anything for a while. It was probably the most intimate moment we shared and I didn't move at all in case it was ruined.

Of three things I was absolutely positive. First, Bella Swan was a broken girl. Second, I was only going to break her even further. And third, there was nothing I could do about that.

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**A/N: Wow,the L bomb! And he really doesn't have any emotions does he? Don't worry, we'll get to see the softer side of him next saturday…orrrrr, you could review and get a sneak peak :D (get the picture?)**

**Thank you, as always for the story alerts and favorites :D**

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	7. Confused

**A/N: Okay, so alot of people have been complaining about edward's seemingly heartless personality. This is just to show that that's not true. He does feel something…(kinda:P)**

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Chapter-6

EPOV

I walked into my apartment and the first thing I heard was a horrible rendition of 'We Are the Champions'. It was Emmett, singing- or should I say fucking screeching- the song while playing Halo. His back was facing me and he was literally jumping around like a goddamn monkey while playing and "singing".

I swear, if anyone else would have walked in at that moment instead of me, I'm sure they would have taken him straight to the mental hospital. But believe me, this was him being "sober". I don't even want to think about him being hyper. Sober Emmett was already a handful.

He spun around suddenly and saw me and his entire face lit up. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself for what was about to come. He bounded at me and threw his gigantic arms around me in a giant bear hug.

"You're home, bitch!" he yelled gleefully. "Come play Halo with me!"

Oh God no. I was here for some bro talk. After my conversation with Bella when she told me she loved me, I started feeling a little uncomfortable. I had this nagging feeling in my chest, something like guilt, and Emmett was the one person I could trust to talk about this.

So, the next day, as soon as Bella left for college, I came back to my apartment (although after hearing Emmett's voice, I really wished I hadn't).

Shaking his meaty arms off me, I said, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

He looked as if someone had taken away his puppy or something. "Please Eddie…pretty please?" he asked giving me his puppy-dog pout.

"No. Not now. And don't call me Eddie! How many times should I tell you that? I fucking hate that nickname!"

"All right, all right…let's have that bro talk of yours. Just lemme get something to eat first."

I rolled my eyes and went in my room to change into a T-shirt and some sweats. When I came back, he was eating a PB&J, chips, cookies and was drinking soda. Man, that boy can eat!

"So…what do you wanna talk about Eddie boy?" Emmett asked while smirking at me.

I decided to let him go for calling me Eddie boy. Mind you, just this one time.

I cleared my throat and said, "Well…It's about this new assignment. About Bella. I've decided that the night of the heist will be on Bella's birthday next week- that is, September 13th. I was thinking of taking her for a quiet dinner somewhere. Then I'll go to her place, seduce her and then we can run with the 30 mill."

I said _we_ because just this once, Emmett was going to help me in one of my projects. Thirty fucking million dollars in cash was no joke. I needed someone to help me with the actual robbery and no way in hell was I gonna ask someone from the Volturi to help me.

"And you're sure it's going to work? The chick will be ready to sleep with you by next week? Maybe she isn't so different after all from all the other hoes," said Emmett. Then after a moment's pause,

"You sure about this, right?" he asked me.

I didn't say anything for some time. Then sighed and put my hands in my face. "No…not really."

"What the hell do you mean?" Emmett looked confused and shocked. "You know that this is the biggest assignment ever! It's a matter of five fucking million dollars! And you love seducing these heiresses! What's so different this time?"

"I don't know Em…This job was fun for a couple of years. I mean what's there that's not fun? I get pain to fuck and chuck! But now, I don't really know who I am anymore. I am not this thief. I have a fucking degree from Dartmouth. And I hold much more respect for women than playing with their feelings."

He was looking at me with his mouth hanging open. After a few minutes he composed himself and placed his hand on my forehead.

"You okay man? Sure you don't have a fever or something?"

"Quit playing around Emmett! I'm dead serious."

He took one look at my face and knew that I was actually serious about this.

"I don't get it…" he said while scratching his head. "I thought you were excited about this assignment. You said so yourself that it was gonna be challenging. And it is the biggest assignment we've ever got! Think how rich we're gonna be after this job, baby!"

I just sighed and shook my head once.

"Wait…this has something got to do with Bella right? Because believe me, before this I've never even heard you utter the word 'respect'. And now you say you fucking _respect_ women? What's going on between you and Bella?"

"Nothing!... It's just…she's different you know?"

"Different! How the hell is she different? And what do you mean by that?"

"She's just…Argh I can't explain it! She's not like the other bimbos I've had to deal with. And I don't mean in the sexual way. She can see through me. It's like once I look into those brown eyes, she can see straight through my soul! Like a fucking x-ray! And it's very unnerving! And also, she is evoking these weird feelings in me! Like on our first date, I had this stupid urge to kiss her. And I did! I don't know why but I did!"

"Wait…you what?" Emmett shouted.

"I kissed her." I said sheepishly.

"You mean _you _made the first move? You're joking right?"

I sighed. "No Emmett, I'm not."

I _never_ made the first move. I always waited for the chick to make it.

"Ohmygod! Our Eddie boy is all grown up and has fallen in love!" he yelled while pretending to wipe away fake tears. "Oh, I'm so proud of you Eddie!"

"God Emmett, for once can you please just shut up and be serious?"

"Sorry dude…no need to be so touchy. Go on."

"So I don't know what that was all about. I mean I never had the urge to kiss someone that bad."

I noticed Emmett waving his hand around wildly. I sighed and said, "Yes, Emmett?"

"Just one, quick question. How was it?"

"How was what?"

"The kiss! What else?" he said while rolling his eyes.

"God Emmett, you're such a girl! Sometimes I wonder if you're actually gay."

"Don't you dare question my manhood!" he said threateningly. "Now, how was it?"

"You're not gonna let this go are you?" He shook his head while smirking the whole time. I seriously felt like punching him in his stupid, smirking face.

Taking a deep breath I said nonchalantly, "It was a normal peck on the lips. Nothing special. And just for your info, we've done a lot of things these past few weeks. Apparently, Bella is not as innocent and sweet as she looks. I'm telling you, she's one dangerous chick. I get all sappy and say shitty, lovey-dovey things around her. I don't know…it's like the old Edward, the real Edward I buried years ago under this cocky, arrogant Anthony, comes out around her. I don't know what to do!"

"Okay. I'm gonna ask you something and you are gonna have to answer it truthfully. Do you have feelings for Bella?"

"What? No way!"

"Are you sure? One hundred per cent?"

"Urgh! I don't know okay? This chick is driving me crazy! I don't really know what this entire thing means. I mean, she's a nice, pretty girl, smart, unlike the other girls and funny too! But she is broken and for some reason, I don't wanna break her more."

"Edward, I think you do have feelings for Bella. Don't try to deny it. I'm not saying that you love her or something but you do like her and that is why you don't want to see her get hurt again. But this is not right. You are gonna steal her entire fortune. Leave her penniless. You can never see her again. So stay on your guard and don't fall too deep."

"Also, that day, she dropped the L-bomb on me! And I had to say it back! And I felt so, so guilty Emmett! All these years, I never felt a single drop of guilt! But now…"

"Whoa. This is more complicated than I thought. She loves you, huh?"

I nodded once.

"Listen Ed, you need to make up your mind. This is THE biggest job of your life! There can be no room for second-guessing yourself. You need to get your head back in the game. Remember, there's just a week left and you'll never see her again. You'll be fine then. Just make sure she has the best night of her life on Saturday to make up for breaking her heart." Emmett said while waggling his eyebrows at me. Some things will never change.

I nodded. He was right. Bella Swan was exactly like all the other girls I had seduced. Edward the pansy might not think so, but Anthony Masen did and there was no shaking his resolve.

I smirked at Emmett. "I know what I want. Be ready next week- we're gonna be fucking rich!"

"No prob man. Now…let's play Halo!"

I knew I was not gonna get out of this one. I sighed and stood up and took the remote.

_Just one more week Masen. Then you're gonna be a millionaire and you will never see Bella Swan again._

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**A/N: Well, that didn't last very long did it? :P maybe he IS heartless after all...**

**Anyways, coming up next is BELLA'S BIRTHDAY! review for a preview :D**


	8. Bella's Birthday Pt1

**A/N: Here it is! Bella's birthday! I actually have quite a few things I need to say. But I'll just say them later. For now, just read!**

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Chapter 7- The Birthday

~_One Week Later~_

EPOV

This was it. It was the day I had been waiting so desperately for for nearly 2 months now. Bella's birthday- aka the day I got rich. The plan was all set in action. Since it was a Saturday, Bella was home the whole day. After a lot of begging, pleading and pouting on my part, she finally agreed to go out.

I didn't know what her damn problem is. Which chick was so reluctant to go out with her boyfriend? I mean, it wasn't as if I'm someone to be ashamed of! Hell, I was pretty sure people would think I was the millionaire rather than the other way round with the way I dress. But whatever. The best part was, today was the last day I'd have to put up with her weird ways and those big, round puppy dog eyes that seem to just suck me in…and STOP!

Stop right there Masen! God, that girl had messed me up all right. Last week, I actually went to Em, saying that I was having second thoughts! Me, Edward Anthony Masen, was having second thoughts because of a fucking _girl!_ I should have quit when I had the chance. The first kiss itself was enough to tell me that Bella Swan was extremely dangerous. But did I listen? Nooo, I did NOT! And now I was stuck. My only consolation was, after tonight it would all be over. And, of course, I'd get laid again.

Bella and I had not exactly discussed it, but we'd reached this silent understanding of what it to happen tonight. It had been their in every kiss, every touch we've shared and the anticipation of what was to come tonight had reached a peak that neither of us could back down from. That was not to say we had not done anything else. Believe me, we'd done _everything _else. Bella Swan was not such a prude after all. Or maybe she was just frustrated. I know I would be if I went twenty-one fucking years without sex. But we both knew that it wasn't enough.

Shit. My pants tightened just thinking about it. I thought about something else- dead puppies, Emmett in a bikini…and yup, it's gone in a flash. But I now had some very disturbing images in my mind and I almost preferred being uncomfortable. Usually, I would have just taken care of the problem but I had to leave in about ten minutes.

Before going out, we had to attend a _very _important meeting with the lawyer. You see, our sweet little Bella was going to receive the inheritance today! And yes, I knew that the money was all in the vault in her mansion so technically she already had the money. But today, Bella would get the legal right to use the money. Of course, the job was pretty risky considering she had seen my face (and every other part of me) but I knew chicks well enough by now to know that they would never give me away to the police…or at least, not right away.

Usually, after a heist, it took a few days, maybe even weeks, for them to get over their broken hearts and check their banks, or in this case, vault. That gave me the time to get out of the city or even the country for some months. My concern when I first started the job was that the chicks could give my description to the police and then I'd be about as famous as Mona Lisa but I soon learnt that they never did that.

Oh sure, they'd give my name and details of my house, but never my face. Maybe, they still loved me and never really wanted me to be caught. Or, more often than not, were too embarrassed to admit that the boy toy they had flaunted to their rich friends was just after their money, with zero interest in them. Whatever the reason, the police never even came near to catching me.

But with Bella, I had to admit, I was a bit nervous. She was smart, she had a practical view of the world and would probably guess at once that I was only with her for the money. But I was hoping that her feminine instincts would overrule her logic, at least temporarily, enough to get me safely out of the country. With a job as big as this, leaving the city wouldn't be enough and I had booked a flight to Italy for tomorrow. Emmett would be safe since Bella never saw him or even knew of his existence, but he was playing safe in any case, and he and Rosalie had were going on a vacation to Hawaii.

Right now, I was focusing on the meeting with the lawyer. I had not wanted to be present there in case the lawyer figured out what happened when Bella told him of the theft, but Bella had pleaded me and I agreed to go. I knew it was going to be hard for her- her parents' will was the concrete evidence of the reality she didn't want to face- and I had to support her by going with her. I kept a wad of Kleenex in my pocket, you know, just in case.

Grabbing my jacket, I headed out and drove to her mansion. She opened the door when I rang the bell and I was surprised with how she looked. I had thought that she would have been dressed in her sweats with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, proof that she had been crying.

But boy was I wrong. She was wearing a light blue shirt that hugged her curves sinuously, accentuating her breasts and small waist. Her legs were sheathed in dark blue jeans that clung to her thin, long legs like a second skin, showing off their shape while her shoes (god knows what they're called) gave her an extra 3 inches. Her hair was left open, but it looked straightened and it framed her heart-shaped face, making a stunning contrast against her fair skin.

I did a double take. This was the most beautiful I had ever seen her look (at least in clothes. Now naked was another story completely). But this beat the way she looked even on the first date. Maybe it was the fact that Bella made clothes as simple as a top and jeans look as sexy as this when wrapped around her sensuous frame that made me stare at her like an idiot.

But there was something missing. I realized it was the pink that usually highlighted her face. Under other circumstances, she would have been red as a tomato under my obvious ogling but today she was blank. I guess she wasn't completely unaffected after all. She just preferred to suffer in silence. I stepped in the house and put my arms around her, hugging her to my chest and kissing her forehead.

"Happy birthday, love," I whispered into her ear. Tugging her hair gently, I made her look up from my chest and captured her lips with mine in a sweet yet passionate kiss.

She put her arms around my neck and responded eagerly, almost desperately, as if trying to forget everything in the world. As much as I would have loved to take her right there and then, I knew that I couldn't take her in this emotional state, so carelessly at the entrance of the house. Besides, we had a meeting with the lawyer that simply could not be ignored.

I sighed gently and tore my lips away from hers, smiling slightly at her frustrated groan. but I didn't release her from my embrace. Instead, I just trailed my lips from hers to her ear and murmured huskily, "Later."

She shivered slightly and pulled away after a moment. Taking my hand instead, she smiled, a true, genuine smile, "I'm ready."

I lead her to the car, kissing her hand softly before opening her door for her and walking around to my side to get in. We drove in silence the whole way, but it was comfortable. Stopping outside the office, I turned my head to look at Bella.

She was gazing out of the window, apparently deep in thought. She must have felt me looking at her since she snapped her head towards me with a start with confusion in her eyes.

"We're here," I said quietly.

She nodded and got out of the car with a determined expression. I walked to her side, taking her hand in mine again and walked inside the building. I had expected that the silence would continue so I was a bit surprised when Bella turned to me in the elevator and said," Thank you, Anthony, for being here. I don't think I would have come her today if it weren't for you. You've given me the strength to face it and I can't tell you how grateful l am. I know my parents would have wanted for me to go on with my life and now, I finally can."

I forces my lips to imitate hers in a smile, but it was nowhere as genuine as hers. I couldn't say anything. How could I, when I knew that tomorrow, she would be broken again, maybe beyond repair this time. Instead, I just squeezed her hand while trying to ignore the guilt building in my chest.

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**A/N: And, Edward is conflicted again. Anyways, I have some things I'd like to make clear.**

**1) Bella's birthday is one of the most imp events in the the fanfic, so we'll be writing it in 3 parts.**

**2) I know Edward is really mean and arrogant, but that was the original plot and we're keeping it that way. He will redeem himself in the end though and this is an E/B fic…eventually**

**3) Also, I know that it's not really common for someone to tell their boyfriend where their money is, but Bella was in a very vulnerable position and trusted Edward completely. It's like, her fortune was like a burden for her and she needed to tell someone! **

**Okay, I'll shut up now…except, just review!**


	9. Bella's Birthday Pt2

**A/N: Another saturday and a heck of week! Of course, the whole kristen stewart cheating on r-pattz completely shocked us. But never mind, I'll probably my steam at the end. In the meantime, this is about Edward and Bella. Enjoy :D**

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Chapter 8- The Meadow

The receptionist got off the phone, looked over at us and said, "Ms Swan, Mr Banner is ready to see you now. Please go through the door on your right."

Bella gave her a small smile and stood up. I took her hand and led her down the hallway. She stopped for a second in front of the door. I thought she had second thoughts about the whole procedure and just wanted to go back home. _Please, no! I need this so badly!_

But, she took a deep breath and opened the door with a determined expression on her face. The rest of the procedure progressed quickly. After some polite small talk, Mr Banner explained all of Bella's legal rights and finally got out the documents that would make her the legal of owner of 30 million dollars. _And after tonight, _I_ would be the uh, illegal owner of the fortune, _I thought with an internal smirked.

But the most unexpected part of the meeting was Bella herself. Throughout the meeting, I was expecting her to tell the lawyer to stop and break down completely, begging me to take her home. But to my utter surprise, she was totally calm and collected throughout the entire procedure.

She was just so unexpected! It was one of the many mysteries which pulled me towards her and…_Stop it Masen! Today's _the_ day! I thought you were done with all this shit! Pull yourself together! _

Once all the formalities were done, Bella thanked the lawyer and we made our way out of the office. We got in the car and I started driving in the opposite direction from which we had come from. Bella looked at me in confusion and said, "Where are we going?"

"Well, it's your birthday and things got over quicker than I expected. So do you mind if I take a quick detour? I want to show you something." I replied.

She rewarded me with a smile and turned her head to look out the window. Today was definitely a refreshing change. I had seen a strong, confident side to Bella's personality. Today, she was not the naïve, self-conscious Bella I had to put up with.

Maybe she had finally moved on. A large wave of guilt washed over me. She had just come to terms with her new life and was just starting to heal from the wounds her parent's death had caused her. And tonight, I was going to seduce her and steal the fortune she had just inherited today. _That too, on her birthday _the annoying voice in my head said smugly.

She _loved_ me! And she definitely didn't deserve this. She had just had her heart broken after the death of her parents. What I was going to do tonight was going to really break her. She was so delicate and naïve and innocent…_well, not that innocent_ I thought with an internal smirk.

The good part of me knew I should just leave her while I had the chance so that I could never hurt her. Yet, the evil side kept on reminding me of the 30 mill at stake and told me to stop being a girl and to go ahead with plan. As usual, the evil side won over.

_I'll think about this later_ I thought. But when I was going to get the time to think was the big question. The heist was going to take place in a few hours.

I saw the small trail in the woods on either side of the road and parked the car. I opened the door for Bella and took her hand. We hiked through the woods for some time and I could sense her discomfort at trekking through the woods. After all, she was not the most coordinated person on the planet. I tried to distract her by talking to her about random things.

Finally, we reached a small, round meadow. It was a beautiful meadow with wild grass and colorful flowers. It was very quiet and peaceful. I came here sometimes to think or if I wanted some peace and quiet. But, I had never brought anyone here before. No one knew this pretty meadow existed. Well, except Bella now, I guess. _This just shows how much I'm attached to her emotionally_, I thought uneasily. Things were never supposed to get this complicated. But that's just life.

Bella was, as expected, enchanted by the meadow. She lay down on the grass and lifted her face to the sunlight with her eyes closed. She lay still for some time and I, being the utter moron that I was, just kept on staring at her. Pathetic, I know.

She suddenly got up and threw herself at me. I was knocked over by her unexpected move and suddenly, she was straddling me. _Uh-oh. _

She beamed at me and said, "Oh Anthony, thank you so much for bringing me here! This has been the best birthday ever, all because of you."

Now, it may have been the emotional stress of the day or that nobody had ever done something nice for her on her birthday –that thought made me scowl- but that was a pretty strong reaction for something as small as showing her a nice meadow.

But, she had always been different. Other girls would have loved to go out on a fancy dinner and would have expected an expensive gift or something. But Bella? She was content with small things like going to a meadow and I did not have to bother to look for a gift for her since she had warned me beforehand not to get her anything since she hated presents.

I smiled at her and she leaned down and pressed her lips against mine. We parted for air after sometime and I said softly, "Anytime." I pulled her down on top of me and kissed her passionately this time.

I licked her bottom lip lightly, begging for permission and got it almost immediately. As our tongues danced together, my hand started tracing her stomach. First from outside, and then slowly, creeping under her shirt move across the flat plane.

Bella moaned loudly and it went straight to my pants. Gently, she began to rock to and fro in search of friction we both needed desperately and my hands began their journey upwards from her abdomen.

Things were getting pretty heated and I knew that if I didn't stop, things would get out of control pretty fast. So, with extreme willpower I gently pulled away and said, "Later."

She gave me a sheepish smile and rested her head on my chest. I put my hands around her, pulling her closer and I couldn't help but realize how perfectly she fitted in my arms. Like I was made for her and her only. I sighed and for the first time, I didn't try to deny the growing attraction I was feeling for her. I just closed my eyes and tried to think of nothing but how good she felt in my arms.

After some time, I asked her-as I was really curious to know-, "How were you so calm and normal at the lawyer's office today?...I mean you were great, but I couldn't help wondering how you handled the situation so calmly. I was actually expecting you to break down or something." I said sheepishly.

She was silent for a while. Scared that in some way I had offended her, I looked at her.

She looked at me -while biting her lower lip as usual- and said, "It wasn't easy at all. The whole time I was hoping that this was some sort of nightmare and that I would wake up any moment. Going into the lawyer's office today made things official. My parents are dead. They are never coming back. But I'm still alive and I have to find a way to move past it. That's why, I tried to keep calm and not break down, though I really wanted to. I can't live in sorrow for the rest of my life."

Her speech brought on another painful wave of guilt that crashed over me. She was _finally_ moving on and I was doing this to her! I was tricking her to steal all her money! I was going to destroy her completely! What sort of a person was I? _A truly despicable one_, I thought sadly.

I couldn't think of anything else to say after that. I was too busy thinking of how much I was going to hurt her tonight. So, I just closed my eyes. I could feel her large, brown eyes tracing my face and I wished desperately that she hated me, not loved me. It would have made things so much easier. But then, how was I to get the 30 million? _God Masen, you are a mess._

The sun started to set and shadows started growing longer. I felt her shift in my arms and she faced me and asked with a seductive smile which was so unlike her, "Is it later yet?"

All the amount of self- control and the feeling of guilt, I had before was replaced by an uncontrollable feeling of need and desire. _Hell yeah_! I yelled in my head.

"It's definitely later." I said huskily. I felt her shiver and smirked. We quickly made our way back to the car and I drove faster than usual to get to her place. I could tell that she was also in a hurry to get home.

We finally reached her mansion and suddenly, some unwanted awkwardness came between us. I led her inside and she gasped when she saw the cake I had told Emmett to drop off in the afternoon.

Emmett had definitely gone over the top with a beautiful three-tiered cake covered in chocolate roses. We cut the cake-which tasted as good as it looked- and finally, I started to lead her towards her bedroom.

I pulled her inside while trailing kisses down her neck.

She gasped and wound her hands in my hair. We stopped in front of the huge, fluffy bed. "Happy birthday." I whispered in her neck and pushed her gently on the bed.

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**A/N: Ooh, I love these kind of endings (when I'm writing them :D). Anyways, more importantly, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. I know some of you probably don't give a damn about it, so you can just skip this. I'm just writing it to express my feelings. **

**First, I hate her for doing this. I guess i was never her fan (jealousy might have something to do with it) but i had some amount of respect for her which is now completely gone! I find cheating despicable, even more than what edward is doing in this fanfic (kinda) and even though i guess he can forgive her after some time, trusting her would be completely insane. **

**Right now, i just feel really really sad for him because this thing must have humiliated him and broken his heart. It would be so hard on him when he does the publicity tours for BD part 2 with her! I'm still kind of hoping that this is some kind of hoax (despite the evidence) or like a publicity stunt or something. No one deserves to be hurt like that!**

**And, I'm done. See u guys next saturday :D**


	10. The Heist

**A/N: For those of you who read this on saturday, we've made a couple of changes in the chapter (just small grammatical errors and added a few lines). But that's it. Go ahead…READ! (and review :D)**

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EPOV

I took one last glance at Bella's sleeping figure beside me, mesmerized by each curve, every dip in her milky body. She had cuddled up to me right after we had made love and for once, I didn't mind. I don't know at exactly which point she fell asleep. Neither of us had said anything after the sex and I had been content just stroking her hair gently till she fell asleep. I sat there for god knows how long, committing each feature of her sleeping face to memory.

But I couldn't delay it any longer. I knew the job had to be done. It was too late to back down now. Everything was in action and I simply couldn't do anything but go with the original plan. If I had realized what I felt for Bella a little earlier, then maybe things would have been different… But it was too late to even think about that now. My pride had come in my way and I had to spend the rest of my life in regret.

Steeling myself for the job, I coaxed the Volturi Edward to the surface. I straightened my shoulders, curled my fists tightly into balls and without looking at Bella, walked right out of the room. Slipping through the hallways I had become so accustomed to, I made my way to the vault. Emmett was waiting there for me with a bag in his hand that contained my tools. As I slipped on my gloves, I could feel Emmett's gaze on me.

"You okay, bro?" he whispered.

I gave him a curt nod, hoping he'd get the hint that I didn't want to talk about it. But then again, this was Emmett we were talking about.

"You seem kinda tense. I would have thought getting laid would have made your mood a bit better."

"Emmett," I said in a low voice. "I'm not particularly in the mood to chit chat right now. Just give me the stuff to open the fucking vault and let's get the hell out of here."

"O-kay." He handed me the little voice recorder I had used when I had first talked to Bella.

Putting it in front of the voice scanner I pressed play. Bella's melodic voice rang into the silence, "_I'm Bella, Bella Swan."_

Ignoring the slight tugging sensation in my chest, I brought up the plaits sheet which had Bella's fingerprints on it-another thing I had got from her unsuspectingly on one of our times together. Placing it on the hand-scanner, I stonily looked ahead at the huge metal door of the vault, pointedly ignoring Emmett.

In a second, the door swung open to reveal rows and rows of cash in neat bundles. Yet, I did not so much as widen my eyes at the sight. Walking inside, I began shoving the money into the black bags Emmett had got. I ignored his low whistle at the sight, focused only on leaving as soon as possible. He came inside the vault and attacked the other shelves.

Neither of us said anything and in 5 minutes flat, we had cleared the place. We weren't worried about any cameras or anything. Emmett had switched off the security system of the mansion earlier with the password I had given him so we knew it was safe. Bags in hand, we walked out and the vault shut after us automatically.

As we started to make our way outside, Emmett surprised me by grabbing my arm.

"Bro, you don't have to do this. You obviously have feelings for this chick. Even a fucking blind man would be able to see that. Just say the word and all this cash will be back in the vault, with you back in her bed by tomorrow morning."

If only it were that simple. I really wished I had the option to even _think _about such a future. But everything was too fucked up for me to be able to clear this mess. I had made the call and there was no going back now, no matter what. So I said the only thing I could.

"No."

Two letters, two fucking letters that decided my whole life. Emmett didn't say anything on our way outside and neither did I. Getting in the car parked near the mansion for our getaway, I stole one last glance at the house and more particularly, at the window of Bella's room. The curtains were drawn but I could imagine the sight.

Bella, still gloriously naked under the silk sheets, sleeping peacefully for once, as she clutched the pillow I had left in my place. Tomorrow, her life was going to change. It was going to shatter for the second time in months and all because of me. Because of the man she _loved._ The smiles would disappear and the nightmares would return- this time, even more vicious.

But she wasn't going to be the only one suffering. I was going to suffer too, day and night, thinking about this night. Thinking about all the what-ifs and could-have-beens and an entire lifetime with Bella by my side. What could have been, _should_ have been.

If only I had the power to make the right choice for once. I was a monster for doing this to someone who had already lost so much in life. And the worst part was, I cared for her, so much, and yet, I was doing this to her. I would never see her again after tonight. I knew it was a punishment that was going to kill me. But deep down I knew that at last, I was getting what I deserved. People like me deserved nothing less.

Emmett started the engine and I turned my head to stare ahead. The car began to move and I said my last goodbye to everything I had ever cared for in my mind. And the whole time, a tiny voice whispered relentlessly into my head…

_It's over._

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**A/N: He's done it! Assward! But don't worry, there will be HEA…eventually. And it's E/B…eventually :P**

**I didn't say this before, but we realllllyy appreciate all the people who have put us on favorite, alert and reviewed :D We'll be putting up acknowledgements at the end of the fanfic for all of you :)**

**Review please :D**


	11. Over

**A/N: I should warn you before, this chapter is in Bella's POV. This is the first time we're writing her POV so don't be mad if we don't get it right in this chapter. That's it I guess. Read now :D**

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Chapter 10- Over

BPOV

The bright sunshine streaming through the window on my face woke me up earlier than I would have liked to. I lay there for a few minutes trying to catch a few more delicious moments of sleep when suddenly all the events of last night came back to me. I grinned and patted the spot next to me expecting his strong arms to encircle me. But there was no one there. _That's odd._

I sat up slowly and tried to get a grip on my emotions. Just because he wasn't there next to me when I woke up after an amazing night is absolutely no reason to get so upset. But then why did I have strange feeling about this? _Relax Bella. He's probably just taking a shower or watching TV or something._

I got out of bed gingerly- I was still sore after last night. I smiled and made my way to the bathroom to clean up. I brushed my teeth, splashed cold water on my face and tried to untangle my wild hair. I couldn't wait to go down and see him after all that had happened last night.

There were no words to describe last night. He was so gentle and tender with me. I fell even more in love with him after it. It was just perfect. I hope it was as good for me as it was for me. I hurried down the stairs and went in the living room.

"Anthony? Are you in here?"

He wasn't there. I went in the kitchen. But surprisingly, he wasn't there either.

_Ok, now that's weird. _I checked all the rooms in the huge mansion but he wasn't anywhere. I checked my phone for any texts from him, explaining his absence after the beautiful night we had shared. But no. No texts, no missed calls, nothing.

_Okay Bella. There is absolutely no reason to panic. I'm sure something really important came up and he'll call soon. _I tried to reassure myself.

_I must really suck in bed,_ the insecure side in me thought miserably. _Shut up Bella! It's nothing like that! He's gonna call, soon. _Again, the confident Bella tried to calm the insecure Bella down but it was not working.

I was feeling so many emotions at once- hurt, anger, confusion, disappointment- that I didn't know what to do. I wanted to go back to bed and cry my eyes out, but I knew that it would look really stupid if I made a big deal out of nothing. I should not jump to conclusions.

I didn't want to wait for him to call me so I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed his number. He didn't pick up and it went straight to voicemail. I didn't know what to say so I quickly hung up. How possessive and clingy would I sound if I demanded why he wasn't in bed next to me after the night we had spent together? Extremely!

Instead, I decided to take a shower to clear my head a bit. I got in the shower and tried to relax my tense muscles under the hot spray. I massaged my hair with my favorite strawberry shampoo and started to calm down. I shut out the water and got out. Wrapping a towel tightly around myself, I stepped out, hoping to see him lounging on my bed while I had been in the shower. He wasn't there. I checked my phone if he had called back but he hadn't.

I spent the rest of the day calling him and texting him but he didn't pick up or reply. I could not imagine what was making him ignore me for so long after last night. Maybe something happened at work. But then why wouldn't he call back or even reply to my texts?

Was he with another woman? A prettier, sexier, _more experienced_ woman? No. He wouldn't do that. He said he loved me. And I trusted him. But my trust began fading as the day went on and he didn't appear.

I tried calling him-_one last time_, I promised myself- and hoped against hoped that this time, he actually _did_ take my call. But it just kept on ringing and ringing and ringing until the voicemail message came on for the billionth time that day.

I threw my phone on the bed in anger and frustration, when I saw something white flutter to the ground. Curious, I went over to it and saw that it was a piece of paper folded in half. I picked it up. It was a hastily written note.

_Bella,_

_I am so very sorry for what I'm about to do. These past few months with you have been some of the best days of my life and I am so lucky to have met such an amazing woman like you. I know that whatever I'm about to do is really going to hurt you and I'm so very sorry. But I have no choice. I know I am a heartless human being- although I guess after you find out what I've done, you would not even call me human- and I know that you may never forgive me for this. Trust me when I tell you that this is the hardest thing I've ever done and I wish I didn't have to do it. This is one thing I'm going to regret for the rest of I life. I am so sorry. Please forgive me._

_Anthony_

It seemed as if all the life was taken out of me suddenly and I couldn't breathe. The note didn't even make much sense but all I could understand that he had done something which was going to hurt me and that he wasn't coming back. Ever. That thought made my chest tighten painfully and I almost puked.

I couldn't believe it. It seemed as if one second everything was perfect and then my entire world came crashing down on me. I loved Anthony so much that sometimes it seemed as if I couldn't breathe if he wasn't around me. He fixed the hole in my heart which had been caused by Mom and Dad's deaths. And now he was gone too. And he had done something to hurt me.

I had to find out what he meant by all this. I quickly dialled his number to _demand_ him to tell me what the hell was going on. I was furious. Just who the hell did he think he was, leaving me after the most amazing night of my life with just a stupid note which made no sense at all, and then _ignoring_ me?

As expected, he didn't pick up. But if I kept calling and calling him, he would get so annoyed that he would have to pick up, right? When the beep sounded for the voicemail, I decided to leave him a message.

"Hello Anthony,"I said trying to make my voice cold and emotionless. He should never find out how much this was affecting me.

"I just found the note you left me after you vanished this morning leaving me feeling used and violated. I want to know what the hell is going on and what exactly you mean by the note. I trusted you and I never expected this from _you"- _my voice cracked on the word you and I knew that I couldn't continue to speak to him like this-"Anthony and I can't believe you would ever do something to hurt me. I love you. Please call me back and tell me that this is all a big mistake. Please come back Anthony. I need you."The beep sounded for the end of the time limit.

I waited for some time but he didn't call me back to tell me it was all a big misunderstanding and that he was coming back and that he was going to take me in his arms and wipe away my tears and kiss me and…

He wasn't going to call back or take me in his arms or make love to me ever again. He was gone, leaving me broken and even more hurt than I had been after Mom and Dad died.

As it all finally sunk in, I let the tears stream freely down my face. I cried till my eyes were puffy and red, my throat was sore and I couldn't feel feel anything. Cold and numb. I had never imagined Anthony would do something like this to me.

He was my safe haven and my confidant. I could tell him anything and never feel self-conscious. I could cry my eyes out for hours and still laugh at his stupid jokes. Sometimes, when I would have nightmares, he would make them go away by taking me into his arms. And then everything would be right again. Me, safe and warm cuddled next to him.

He made everything more beautiful. He made _me _feel beautiful. He made me think that life finally had some meaning after all that I had lost. He made me feel special and loved and cared for. He was everything to me. But now he was gone. He was never coming back. And I was all alone. Broken...

...

...

...

_Love, life, meaning…over._

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**A/N: Wow, he really messed her up, didn't he?**

**Okay, so I know the last few chapters have been kind of draggy and angst-ish, but we simply couldn't continue with the story without showing how Bella felt at this point. Btw, the rest of the story will be in BPOV, except for the occasional outtake in EPOV if necessary. It's a bit weird for us to suddenly switch to BPOV and we're trying to get the hang of it, so bear with us please.**_  
_

**Also, I'd like to make it very clear that the rest of the fanfic won't be very sappy and sad. We have twists and turns coming up pretty soon (like the next chapter :P). So keep reading :)**

**That's all for now. Thank you to all of you who review once again. Please continue :D **


	12. New

**A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay…but our school started and it's really hard taking out time to update…anyways, enjoy :D**

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~One Year Later~

BPOV

I gave myself a once over in the mirror: a sequined, red top that hugged my curves sensuously, flattering my small waist. Denim jeans that fit me like a glove and frankly, made my ass look amazing. My lips seemed more pouty than usual, thanks to lip gloss and my eyeliner was very carefully smudged to give a 'smoky' effect. Not too much for going out casually, but enough to make people stare. Oh yeah, I was fucking hot.

As usual, I looked at the photo on the dresser- the one from 'the old days'. Before I had fallen for that asshole. Before that bastard had ruined my life. Oh yes, one year later and my blood still boiled whenever I thought of _him. _

Anthony fucking Masen. What a joke! Of course there wasn't any Anthony Masen. That asshole gave me a name which was, like him, fake. I had found that out around a week after he left when people from the bank came to my house.

~_Flashback~_

_I was sitting on my bed, stonily looking at the blank TV screen on the opposite wall, while my mind was shouting every known profanity at that jerk, Anthony. It seemed as though that was all I ever did these days. Once I got over the initial shock and depression, instead of wallowing in sadness as I had done after my parent's death, my mind had turned extremely aggressive, and anger was all I felt. Anger at _him_ to have played with my feelings and anger at myself to have fallen so eagerly into his trap._

_The sound of the doorbell snapped me out of my thoughts and I went out to open the door. Two men dressed in smart suits turned to face me and one of them held out his hand._

_"Hello, I am Riley Biers. This is Tyler Crowley and we are from the Bank of America. We have come to discuss some very important issues regarding this estate."_

_Shaking his hand, I said, "Okay, well please, come in."_

_They followed me inside and sat on the chairs in the living room. _

_"Right then, we'll get straight to business." Riley said. "Ms. Swan, are you aware that this mansion was on a mortgage?"_

_Shocked, I replied, "No, I was not" And then stupidly I asked, "Ar- are you sure?"_

_He gave a curt nod. "Positive. Your father, Charlie Swan took a loan from our bank. However, since your father paid us back in installments, the bank has yet to recover quite a huge percent of the loan. I understand that things must have been hard after his death, and your lawyer had informed us that since you were not yet 21 years of age, you were not in control of your father's fortune. However, now that you have turned 21, the bank cannot wait for much longer."_

_I heard him, but for a few minutes his words did not make sense. Dad? Mortgage? Loan? My father never had anything to do with banks if he could avoid them. But I knew it would be silly to ask them if they were sure once again. Instead, I said, "Can I see the mortgage papers please?"_

_Tyler reached into his black briefcase and pulled out a folder. He passed it to me and yup, there it was. A document with my father's signature- evidence that the mansion on mortgage. I scanned the papers and my eyes widened at the value of the loan. It wasn't anything I couldn't afford, but I could see why dad might have paid back in installments. This could have practically wiped out half of the fortune. _

_After a few minutes, Riley spoke, "The amount pending currently, including the rate of interest is 17 million dollars roughly. We can give you the exact figures and you can pay in installments if you'd like. But the time period specified will be over in a couple of months, so we suggest paying the full amount. "_

_Looking up, I shook my head in affirmative. Paying the whole sum would be best. "Alright, I'll talk to my lawyer and have the payment ready in about a week."_

_They stood up and shook my hands once again. "Of course, Ms Swan. We'll take our leave now."_

_The moment they were out I called Jenks. His voice came swiftly and clearly._

_"Good morning, Ms Swan. What may I do for you?"_

_"Why were there two people from the Bank of America at my house, informing me that my house wasn't really mine?" I practically snarled at him. Yes, I know it was rude, but I was in a bad mood and he'd just have to deal with it. After all, he was the one who had lied to me for so many years._

_"Ah, yes. I was afraid this was going to happen. But you must understand that it was your parents' wish that you knew nothing about this unless there was an emergency. Of course, I don't think they had foreseen…the accident. Nevertheless, the Swan mansion was put on mortgage nearly 10 years ago, when your father was desperately in need of money. After he built up his fortune, I advised him to pay it all back at once. But he was obstinate and believed that he should save the money for a rainy day. The bank was fine with this, but since Charlie passed away, the banks haven't been receiving their payments. I suggest that you pay back the loan as soon as possible and put this all behind you."_

_God, I was tired. I was having a terrible week and now this. I needed to get away. "Just tell me what to do Jenks. I want this over."_

_"Certainly. It would be so much easier if Charlie had just kept the money in the bank like normal people. One cheque, a couple of signatures and it would have been over. But no, he had to keep it in a bloody vault. Okay, so first, you need to go to your vault. I'll be over in 20 minutes to take the money to the bank."_

_Hanging up, I made my way to the vault, sagging my shoulders and dragging my feet. Putting my hand over the scanner, I said "Bella Swan."_

_Immediately, the door opened and…nothing._

_There was literally nothing in the vault! No bundles of cash on the steel rows, just nothing. Dazed, I walked around, occasionally bending down to check if 30 million dollars of cash had somehow slipped and rolled under the shelves. I checked every corner, fury building inside me as I passed each empty slab. _ANTHONY! _Of course it was that bastard! In my rage, I punched a steel shelve, hard, barely even noticing the pain in my fist. Giving out a shout of frustration, I began pounding the slab furiously, my knuckles red and sore. This was how Jenks found me._

_~Flashback~_

God, I had been a mess. Although we tried everything, we couldn't find the money. I knew who had it of course, I even gave the police his details, including a vague idea of his physical features, but they couldn't find him. Of course not. Anthony was no amateur. He had known exactly what he was doing, leaving behind no possibility of his arrest.

We had notified the bank about our situation and although they had allowed me to continue staying there for a couple of months, I had to move out eventually. The insurance company was of no help as the robbery could not be proven and no one knew what had happened to the money. During my last months in the house, I had found myself a job at a restaurant nearby, as a waitress after calling in a favor to one of my dad's friends. It was surprising, really, how quickly people failed to recognize you as soon as you were poor.

College, naturally, was not an option and soon, I was a 21 year old without a house, trying to survive on a waitress's pay. I was lucky I wasn't living in New York or something, so finding a house was comparatively easier than I expected, especially with the rates I could afford. But I had managed to find a house in Seattle- a small flat with one bedroom, a small kitchen and one bathroom.

But despite all these problems, there was never a moment when I was able to stop thinking about Anthony. He was, after all, the cause of my predicament. But I was proud of myself to never have shed a tear over him after the first day.

I had steeled my mind impossibly and had managed to achieve a state where I was just numb. No sorrow, no anger- cold, unfeeling.

That state had passed, but though I now laughed and talked like any other person, there was part of my heart that had been lost- and I didn't want to find it.

But I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Jacob, my rock who helped me through all of this. Our fathers had been good friends before we had moved to Seattle and the Black family was amongst the few people who had been genuinely upset by Charlie's death.

In fact, that was how Jacob and I had originally bonded. Even though I had a few memories of him from when we were kids, it was after Charlie passed away that we became extremely close.

I felt quite guilty that I had ignored him during my 'relationship' with 'The Jerk' but Jacob didn't hold a grudge against me for that. If anything, he helped me get over Anthony, in his own way.

I suppose I should be grateful in a way to Anthony. He had, after all, made Jake and I grow impossibly closer. And he was partly responsible for turning me into the confident, sexy woman that I am now, instead of the stuttering mess I used to be. I had definitely changed in the past year, and for the better. I was no longer naive, shy and scared of the world. I was sure of myself and my physical appearance, which I wasn't afraid to show off.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror once again, and then back at the photo I smirked. Strutting my way out of my apartment, I added an extra swing to my hips. _Oh yeah. I was a sexy bitch._

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**A/N: wow, she's really changed! leave a review if you like this new and sexy Bella :D**


	13. AN sorry, not a chapter

**A/N: Okay, so this is basically an author's note regarding a review. Normally I would have just PM'd the person, but it was anonymous, and maybe it is better so that we can clear up one thing.**

**We didn't realize that it might sound as though Bella was sleeping with Jacob, but I assure you that she was NOT. And she did NOT start sleeping around either. We had thought of Bella admitting this later on, but we might as well clear it out right now.**

**The new Bella is just more sure of herself. She has gotten over her self-esteem issues and isn't afraid of the spotlight anymore. She has become more comfortable in her own skin, but that doesn't mean that she has turned into a slut or something.**

**I guess since while writing we know exactly what we want the characters to be, it doesn't occur to us what it might sound like to others. But we'll try to be more careful in the way we write next time :D. And we really appreciate your reviews and comments, so feel free to share your opinion or ask any questions about this fanfic :)**

**That's it :)**


	14. Job Offers

**A/N: Hot and confident Bella ahoy! You guys like the new Bella? We do! So, here's the next chapter and the twist in the story as promised. Enjoy! (And review) ;)**

**Disclaimer: Story is Steph's, plot is ours.**

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I parked my car and walked towards La Bella Italia. I was meeting Alice and Jake there for lunch. I checked my watch and saw that I was almost fifteen-minutes late. Alice was gonna freak. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the doors open and walked inside the restaurant. I looked around and immediately spotted a head full of black hair that was pointing out in every direction. Suddenly, the head turned and a very fashionable dressed but extremely short pixie-like girl jumped up and started waving at me like crazy. I'll give you a hint. That's Alice.

I still remember how Alice and met as clearly as if it had just happened yesterday...

_I had just started working at the coffee shop just after the "Asshole Episode" (as I'm going to call it) and that's where Alice and I met. It was a pretty relaxed day and I was just sitting in one of the booths during my break thinking about just how much my life had changed in the past few months. I must have looked pretty upset and close to tears or something because the next thing I knew, Alice was standing in front of me, handing me a tissue._

_"You look like you need one. Wanna tell me what's wrong? I'm a really good listener and you'll feel much better, trust me. I'm Alice, by the way."_

_She flashed me a bright smile and looked at me, waiting for an answer. I kept on staring at her like a fool and didn't say anything. She waited for a few more seconds and then sat down anyway. She looked at me expectantly and I, not needing any more prompting, told her the entire story from my parent's deaths till the Asshole Episode. I usually didn't open up with people so quickly, not to mention complete strangers. That's why I never had many friends in school. But there was just something about Alice that made me want to just tell her everything. And she was actually a pretty good listener._

_So, I told her everything-using way too many swear words than appropriate. But hey, I was upset and heartbroken! And, when I finished, all she said was, "What a _goof nugget_." I stared at her for a few seconds- I had never, ever heard that one before! - and we both burst out into hysterical laughter. I had never laughed so hard for a really, really long time and trust me, it felt amazing! And after that, we just became best friends._

Call it clichéd but to me, it was perfect. She really helped me a lot this past one year. She was there when I needed a shoulder to cry on or have a girl's night. It's easy being friends with Alice even though we were polar opposites. She was outgoing, hyper and crazy with an amazing fashion sense (yeah, she was a fashion designer) while I was shy, soft spoken and dressed really plain…actually, _used _to dress really plain. I now had a pretty good fashion sense too, thanks to Alice.

Smiling at the memory, I made my way towards the table where Alice and Jake were sitting. The minute I reached the table, Alice pounced on me with a million questions like, "Why were you late? Where have you been? Why did you take so long? What do you wanna order?". Completely ignoring her, I said, "Hey Jake."

"Hey Bella", he said giving me a warm smile.

Alice huffed impatiently while Jake and I purposely made small-talk to annoy her. Finally, I looked at her as if I had just noticed her and said, "Hey, you."

"Don't hey, you me. Where the hell were you?"

"Relax woman! I was stuck in traffic. I had left the apartment just as you had called me."

"Huh. Fine! Let's order. I'm dying of hunger here."

She called the waiter over- and I did notice the way he looked me up and down appreciatively. He was definitely cute but I was in no mood to deal with something like Asshole Episode 2 or something like that. I was on a vacation on island 'All Hot Guys are Assholes.'

"Hi, I'm Rob. What would you like to order?" he asked, looking at me.

Jake ordered mushroom ravioli for me, a spaghetti marinara for Alice and chicken parmesan for himself. The waiter, Rob, flashed me a wink and left. Okay… We chatted randomly for some time till the food came. Once the food came, we all dug in hungrily and for some time, nobody talked, just ate.

Alice took a sip of wine and cleared her throat. "Hey Bella," she said, "I've got some good news. I know someone who's looking for a house-sitter. He's constantly travelling and hardly lives in his apartment. So he's looking for someone to just look after it while he's away. He's somewhere in Europe right now but he'll be back in a few months. And till then, you'll hopefully get an internship or something with a publishing company. The pay is really good too. I think it's good for the moment. Think about it: you get to live in an awesome penthouse apartment and get paid for it."

I wasn't sure. I mean, I didn't know the guy. I couldn't just randomly go and live in his house.

"I don't know, Alice. I mean, what he turns out to be a freak or something? I'm not very comfortable with the idea."

"Bella, I know him very well! Do you really think I'm going to let you live in some weirdo's apartment? Of course not. And, FYI, he happens to be my brother."

Well, that was a relief, I grinned. "Your brother, huh? So he's definitely a freak!"

Clutching her chest dramatically, Alice gasped, "How could you Bella? I'm wounded!"

I rolled my eyes. _Drama queen. _

She turned serious now, "Okay, so what do you think?"

The idea seemed pretty good. And I was in desperate need of money. I still had to complete my final year and I could use the money to pay for my tuition. Plus, if this guy was Alice's brother, I was sure he would be a pretty decent guy. Besides, I was kind of curious to meet her brother. She had mentioned him a couple of times before, but I had never seen his photo and knew nothing about him.

I guess there was no harm in trying something new rather than working as a waitress the whole time. According to what Alice had told me, he practically never used his apartment. So it would be like living alone, more or less.

"Sounds good, Alice. You can tell your brother that I'm ready to do it. And tell him that his apartment will be in good hands." I smiled at her. "Yay! I'm so happy for you Bella! This is good for you." She started clapping her hands and bouncing up and down in her seat. She looked too adorable. Typical Alice. "What do you think Jake?" He had been unusually quiet throughout the lunch.

"Hmm? What?"

"What do you think? Does the job offer sound good?"

"Yeah…it sounds okay. I think you should go for it."

He sounded pretty distracted so I asked him what was wrong. "Nothing." He replied. _Too quickly. _Hmm…I would think about it later.

The waiter came over and Alice asked for the bill. We paid and left the restaurant. Jake said his byes and left saying he had some important work to do. Alice and I gave each other a typical _what's with him? _look. I knew we were going to talk about this later.

"Bella! I'm so happy you're gonna take the job! I'll tell him right away. Now you don't need to worry for at least a couple of months, okay? I'm gonna go now. I've to meet Jasper after our lunch."

Jasper was her boyfriend. Her face became all dreamy and I could tell just how much in love they were with each other. It was cute, for some time. Then it got really sickening. Sometimes, I got pangs of jealousy when I saw how cute and genuinely _happy _they are together. I can never see myself going this crazy over some guy. Well, if you had seen me a year ago, I would have pretty much looked like Alice did right now when I talked about An… never mind. No need to waste my time and think about that _him_.

"Okay then. I'll call you later." I said, giving her a hug.

"Bye Bella!" She smiled and bounced to her car, just like a pixie.

I shook my head fondly in her direction, got in my car and drove home.


	15. Second First Encounter

**A/N: Edward's here!**

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~One Month Later~

I paced up and down at the foot of my bed anxiously. Alice's brother was due today and I had no idea what to do. I supposed I shouldn't have been that nervous- he was Alice's brother, after all- but he was also my new employer.

I had been living in the house for a month now and was quite comfortable. It was a nice, two- bedroom apartment, with a huge kitchen that I had fallen in love with as soon I had seen it. The decor was quite elegant, if a little, well…impersonal. You could tell that the owner hardly ever lived there. No photos, no personal items- the house didn't have a very homely feel to it.

But I had grown to love it. It was definitely a huge improvement from my previous apartment which had been small, with hardly any place to walk around. Also, my previous landlord had been a creep. He had been a short, balding guy who talked only to my chest. In fact, I bet he didn't even know what my face looked like.

Anyways, there was absolutely no way Alice's brother could be worse than that. From what she had told me, he was a pretty sweet guy- but a little moody at times. Well, that shouldn't have been a problem. I knew how to deal with these kind of people.

_No!_ I thought sternly to myself._ You _cannot_ be a bitch to him. He is your employer. Remember the last time you tried to sass the person who had the power to fire you? Remember how he had used this power?_

Yeah, my job at the coffee shop hadn't exactly ended in an amicable way. Something had triggered of a memory of _him _ and I had been in a shitty mood that day. Needless to say, my boss wasn't impressed when I lashed out at him to vent my frustration. I supposed Alice was partly to blame over here. I mean, the old Bella could have never even thought about throwing the hissy fit (there's really no other way to describe it) I had. Apparently bosses didn't like 22 year olds stamping their feet, trying to attack them, in front of customers. Go figure.

But maybe that had been for the better. I could have been stuck at that awful job with minimal wages instead of the awesome job I had right now. I was practically getting paid double the amount for doing less than half the work. I basically had to live in a beautiful house and…yup, that was pretty much it.

I checked the time again. I didn't know why I was so tense. It was only nine right now and Alice's brother was supposed to come pretty late in the night, probably after midnight. I hadn't bothered making dinner because seriously, who the hell expected dinner at 1:00 am? I'm sorry, but that ain't happening (yeah, I was street now).

Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to call Alice. She picked up after the first ring.

"Talk to me, babe," she said, in a husky voice.

"I'm sorry, were you expecting Jasper's call?"

She giggled, "He just hung up about a minute ago."

"Oh, so you're just seducing me! Well, I must say you have a fabulous taste," I joked.

"Uh-huh. So what's up?"

"Nothing much. I was just getting kinda bored."

"Tsk, tsk, Bella. Social calls during work is a total no-no" _I know. She actually said 'no-no'!_

"Well, you're also my boss, so isn't this technically a work- related call?"

"Well, in that case, Ms. Swan, what did you want to talk about? And this better not be waste of time."

Okay, now it was annoying. "Knock it off, Al. I'm not in the mood for this."

Concern seeped into her voice immediately, " What's going on, Bells?"

"I don't know. It's probably stupid, but I'm a bit nervous. Your brother's coming today- well, technically tomorrow- and I have this uneasiness in my stomach. I can't really explain it…"

"Don't worry. Bella, my brother is one of the sweetest and nicest person ever. I know you won't be comfortable living with a guy after the Asshole Episode, but believe me, my brother is _nothing _like that jerk. It'll be fine, okay?"

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Al. You've really helped me a lot, you know. I don't know how I would have managed without you."

"Well I'll be…Is Isabella Marie Swan's cold heart actually melting for me? Aw!" She just had to spoil it, didn't she?

"Oh, shut up, you. But seriously, thanks a lot. I feel much better now." As usual, I was smiling when I hung up after talking to Alice.

I looked at the time again. Almost 10 o clock now. I supposed I could go to sleep now. I didn't think Alice's brother expected me to greet him in the middle of the night. No, it was better to sleep right now. That way, I could get up early the next day and ready everything before I met him.

Changing into my night clothes, which consisted of a long T-shirt and underwear, I snuggled in comfortably under the blankets and and drifted off to sleep…

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I woke up fresh and completely relaxed. The world seemed so much better in the morning. All my nervousness and anxiety seemed silly now. I crept out of the room silently, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise. After my morning routine, I went into the kitchen to fix up some breakfast for the bossman (that sounded lame, even in my head). Food always helped make a good impression.

Normally I would have put on some music or whistled as I made breakfast, but I kept my trap firmly shut today. In fifteen minutes, I had a tray in my hand which had a plate of eggs, toast, bacon and a steaming hot cup of coffee. Not too much, but enough to butter him up a little.

On the way to him room, I spied a huge, black suitcase in the living room. And of course, like the nosy bitch I am, I went over to 'inspect it'. The label read 'Edward Cullen'. Hmm, _Edward_. I rolled it around in my head a few times. It sounded nice.

Picking the tray back up, I went and knocked softly on his door. I didn't really expect an answer so it surprised me when a slightly husky voice called out, "Who is it?"

"Umm, I'm your new house-sitter. Alice might have told you about me…?" I trailed off awkwardly.

"Oh yeah, she did. Come on in please." So far, so good.

Balancing the tray carefully, I made my way in. The first thing I saw was a mess of bronze hair. Then, I saw red. For on the bed was none other than the reason for where I was right now. The man who had completely destroyed me. The man who I despised like none other… _Anthony. _

Without pausing to think about anything, such as how the fuck he happened to be there, I did what I had been longing to do for a year now. I threw what I had in my hands at him…_hard!_

It wasn't my fault that I happened to be holding a tray which had a cup of steaming hot coffee. I now stood face-to-face with a dripping Anthony- or should I say _Edward_- who looked equally shocked if not more. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times like a fish and then, as though it took him a great effort, he said, "Bella…"

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**A/N: Don't you just hate me? :P I wonder what happens next? (evil laugh)**

**Just remember, reviews are better than a hot, dripping Edward on your bed :)**

**And, if we manage to reach more than 100 reviews, we'll throw in an outtake. Review and let us know which part you want to experience from EPOV! :D**


	16. Outtake1

**A/N: You guys rock! Thank you soo much for the reviews!:) As promised, here is an outtake from EPOV. Now, you guys asked for different things so we've tried to combine it all together in one chapter. But don't worry, we'll be putting up other outtakes as well. That's it then…Read on!**

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**Outtake 1**

The seatbelt sign lit up and the pilot announced that the descent would start soon. It was a long flight from Rome to Seattle and I couldn't wait to just go home and sleep. A year had passed since I had left Seattle in a hurry and had escaped to Rome. I had spent a quiet year there-sightseeing, eating and just relaxing. Oh who am I kidding? I had been fucking miserable.

Going to Rome was a horrible decision and I had had a lot of time to think about the last heist and also about my feelings for _her. _I regretted what I had done to her every single day. She still haunted me, especially at night. I couldn't stop thinking about her- how she was, what she was doing, if she missed me, if she was still hurting over what I had done to her, if she still _loved _me…

Every night I replayed the few months I had spent with her, over and over in my mind. The countless memories of us- the first time we met, our first date, first kiss, her laughter, the way she fit in my arms perfectly, the meadow, our first time… I could still picture her as clearly as if she were standing right in front of me. The delicate, slender figure, her thick mahogany hair, her pale skin, her pouty lips and God, her beautiful, soulful, chocolate eyes. Eyes I could stare into forever.

Playing such a cruel trick on her will always be the biggest mistake of my life and I knew I was going to regret it till the very end. If only I had realized and accepted my feelings for her sooner. It had shattered my heart in a million pieces the night I left her. I had been in a double mind then and I sincerely wished that I had taken the other choice…the right choice. I wished I had been able to cancel the stupid plan and just tell her how much I cared for her and none of this would have ever happened. But no, as usual, I made the wrong decision.

She was the only one I had truly cared for and because of _me_ she was never going to be mine. I craved to see her beautiful face just one more time, to kiss her, to take her in my arms and never let go. But I didn't deserve her- I didn't deserve _anything__. _Not after how much I hurt her.

I know that whatever I did must have destroyed her and couldn't even bear to think about how she must have felt and what she must have done after finding everything out. I made her life hell and took everything away from her. I was truly very sorry but even I knew that no amount of apologizing was going to undo the pain she must have felt at that time.

Yes, a year had passed and yet, I was unable to stop thinking about her for even one second. I still had all the texts and voicemails she had left me and I still listened to them every day just to hear her voice again.

It broke my heart to listen to her beautiful, sad voice but I stilled listened to it every day as a punishment for my mistake. I know it was nothing compared to what she had to go through but still, doing it made me feel better anyways.

I sighed and closed my eyes and let my head fall against the seat. I was going back to Seattle and we may cross paths again. I was still not ready for it (though I doubted I would ever be) but a part of me still craved to see her at least once. The plane touched down and in a few minutes, I was out. The joys of flying private.

I was really excited to be back home. I had decided to surprise Em at his new nightclub tomorrow. Yeah, even I was shocked when I heard that _he _had opened a nightclub but even more surprised when I found out how well it was doing. Eclipse was one of the hottest nightclubs in Seattle currently. Who knew?

I got through the customs and all the other things fairly quickly and in about 20 minutes, I was in a cab on the way to my apartment. I was very tired, not to mention jet-lagged so I closed my eyes for a few minutes and the next thing I knew, we were pulling up in front of my apartment. I tossed some cash at the driver and stumbled out of the cab.

Reaching my floor, I dug around in my pockets for the keys. I walked in and immediately, I could tell that someone had been here before me. Oh yeah, it must be the new house-sitter Alice had found for me. I went to my room fell on the bed fully clothed and was dead to the world for a couple of hours.

I woke up the next morning in a very uncomfortable position with my left hand squashed under my entire body and my head tangled in the sheets. I sat up with a gasp and winced when the blood started flowing in my now-numb left hand.

I could hear someone moving about carefully and quietly in the room next to mine. I lay down back again and was just thinking about how great it felt to be back home when there was a soft knock on the door.

Reflexively, I called out, "Who is it?"

Who else was it going to be so early in the morning? God, I really was slow in the morning.

"Umm, I'm your new house-sitter. Alice might have told you about me…?" she answered in a voice that was kind of familiar.

Actually, come to think of it, it actually sounded a lot like…_Cut it out Masen! It's not _her_! Focus! _

"Oh yeah, she did. Come on in please."

She pushed the door open and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Bella…_Bella!_, was standing in front of me holding a tray of breakfast food in her hands. I couldn't believe it! _She _was _my _house-sitter?! Bloody hell. This was like the Twilight Zone.

The minute she saw me, her perfect mouth formed a round O and her eyebrows drew together. Holy crap. I could have never expected anything like what happened next, in a million years. Yep. She threw the entire tray on me.

I sat there in a dripping, wet mess opening and closing my mouth a few times while she stood glaring at me. I couldn't believe it was _her_! I had fantasized about this moment so many times in the past year, but not like _this_! I had not anticipated our first meeting to go like this. Hell, I hadn't even thought that I'll meet her like this. As her new _boss_!

It felt so damn good to see her again after a freaking year and I just didn't know what to do. She looked so beautiful that I wanted to take her right there and then.

_Focus, Masen! You hurt her, no _destroyed_ her and all you can think about is how sexy she looks? Disgusting. You should drop to your knees, explain what happened and beg for her forgiveness!_

I took a deep breath but instead of apologizing or even explain what I did and why I did it, all I could say was, "Bella…"

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**A/N: It was probably a bit short, but we have good news for you people. We'll be putting up the next chapter in 2-3 days only! But that doesn't mean you don't review! Please do and let us know your views :D**


	17. Eruption

**A/N: Here it is…the moment of truth!**

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Chapter 14- Eruption

BPOV

_Without pausing to think about anything, such as how the fuck he happened to be there, I did what I had been longing to do for a year now. I threw what I had in my hands at him…hard!_

_It wasn't my fault that I happened to be holding a tray which had a cup of steaming hot coffee. I now stood face-to-face with a dripping Anthony- or should I say Edward- who looked equally shocked if not more. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times like a fish and then, as though it took him a great effort, he said, "Bella…"_

_..._

How dare he? How dare he sit in that bed, and have the guts to look me in the eye? How fucking dare he even say my name, after what he did? And how _dare_ he come back into my life, now that I had moved on?

I waited for a minute, not because I wanted to him a a chance to explain, but because I was practically on the verge of _exploding. _And…nothing. The asshole had fucking _nothing_ to say. He just sat there dumbly, staring at my face!

That was it. Gathering all the self-control I had, I snarled, "What the _fuck _are you doing here?"

My voice seemed to jerk him back to life. In that velvety voice I had grown to despise so much he said, "This is my house."

Now, if another person had said that it would have been a perfectly normal answer. But this was _him._ He had broken my heart, ruined my life, snatched away my home- and was now telling me this was _his _house? Oh no, that was unacceptable. But I had learned to control my emotions perfectly in the last year, if nothing else.

So instead of calling the police or lunging for his throat as I should have, I chose to say- well, growl, to be honest- "What do you mean, this is your house? This house belongs to my friend Alice. Don't tell me you managed to con her too! Wasn't my fortune enough for you? Or do you get some sick pleasure in destroying lives?"

I saw him tense, and then something in him changed. His posture become slightly more erect and he looked me directly in the eye before sneering at me, "Actually, this house belongs to Alice's brother. And _that _is, well, yours truly."

He smirked. He had the audacity to smirk! Never mind the fact that he _should _have been groveling at my feet, begging for forgiveness, asking me not to call the cops, that bastard _smirked! _

I was now physically shaking with anger, but there was just one more thing I had to ask. "Does Alice know about you? Is she involved in this too? Was her show of friendship just some kind of a sick, twisted joke?"

He froze. For the first time, he actually seemed to be kind of…_nervous? _Well, he should be. His next words were said very carefully, " Alice has nothing to do with this. And believe me, it was not my plan to meet you ever again. I have no fucking idea how you ended up here."

If I look back, this comment was probably not supposed to be offensive. He was just stating a fact. But I was way too angry at that point to be able to think rationally. I shouted,

"Oh, _I'm sorry_ your plan didn't work out. It must be _terribly _hard for YOU to be near me again! Well, FUCK YOU, asshat! I don't give a shit about your goddamn plan. And believe _me, _your face is the last thing I wanted to see!"

"Tsk, tsk. Didn't you know insulting your _boss _on the first isn't the best way to make an impression on him?"

Oh, I'll leave an impression oh him, alright.

Unable to control myself, I walked over to him and yes, I slapped him- HARD. Once…twice …and I was going for a turkey when his strong hands encircled my wrists held them in front of me, acting like shackles. I swear that if looks could kill, Anthony, Edward or whatever the fuck his name was, would have been incinerated and his ashes would have been finding there way back to Hell, from where he was born.

Thankfully, I had not been idle in the last 12 months and I had learnt enough of self-defense techniques to be able to squirm my way out of his grasp. I was just contemplating whether or not to practice one of the offensive moves I knew, when he opened his mouth, " Enough. I will not tolerate anymore."

"HA! You won't tolerate anymore? That's rich! After what you did, _you _won't tolerate anymore? You- " My rant was cut off when his hand clamped over my mouth. His green eyes smoldered into mine and I stood there, unwillingly hypnotized by his gaze. But that did not make it okay for him to start leaning in, towards my face as though he was going to kiss me.

I leapt back at once, wanting to put as much space between us as possible. He started to say something, but I ran out of the room before he could say anything more than my name. Once in my room, I locked the door and crumbled down to the floor. Hugging my knees to my chest, I couldn't help letting a few tears escape. But then my resolve strengthened. Getting up,I wiped my wet cheeks and started to pack. Throwing in everything I could find, swearing loudly as I tripped in my hurry, I packed in order to just get away from him.

Wheeling my luggage behind myself, I unlocked to door and made my way out. He was standing in the living room, clutching at his hair. I noticed he had used to time I had been in the room to change into clean clothes, ones not dripping with coffee. Suddenly alerted by my presence, he looked up and for the first time he showed the right emotion- remorse.

But this was too good to last and as soon as he spotted my luggage, anger seeped into his face.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

I would have snapped but I was too tired. Instead I just looked at him wearily, " I'm leaving, obviously. Listen, Anthony or Edward or…whatever, I'm not interested in calling the cops on you and having you arrested. That wish died a few months after you had left and we both know that there wouldn't be any point of me filing a report for a case that had been declared a dead end months ago. I just want to get the hell away from you and get on with my life, okay?"

"It's Edward, Edward Cullen. And…no."

What the hell? " What do you mean, no?" I demanded.

"I mean, no, you are not leaving. You were hired to be my house-sitter, and you have a one-year contract."

Changing his clothes was not the only thing he had done, then. Apparently, he had also used the time to go through the contract of my employment. I could have kicked myself at the point. Of course, the one year clause, the only thing _I _had requested to be put in the contract had to come back to bite me in the ass!

But why, why was he making this so difficult. Hadn't he just told me that his plan did not include seeing me? Being his house sitter entailed my presence in his life pretty much all the time. So why was he doing this?

I asked him the same question. " Why, Edward? What is your damn problem? Why are you doing this?"

He answered coldly, "Finding a new house-sitter would be very inconvenient. You are to stay here until I can make other arrangements, and that is final."

Now, he just pissed me off. It would be inconvenient for him to find a new house-sitter? Yeah, BULLSHIT. He had another motive, obviously and I refused to let myself be a pawn in one of his games. He wanted to play? Fine, the new Bella wasn't afraid to play. And believe me, she would play _dirty._

Edward Cullen wouldn't know what hit him.

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**A/N: I have a feeling Edward should be hiding from all of you. What an ass huh? I know he seems incredibly bi-polar after that outtake but he was just too confused and surprised and his only defense was this cocky attitude. We'll explain it later…maybe in an outtake...**

**So, we've put up 3 chapters in less than 10 days…I say we deserve reviews :P Please…leave us your comments :)**


	18. Outtake2

**A/N: And… another EPOV outtake! After his shitty behavior last time, we thought you guys deserve to know what's going on in his head. This might not redeem him totally, but it will make you understand him better… Enjoy :D****_  
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**Outtake-2 **

**(EPOV)**

_I sat there in a dripping, wet mess opening and closing my mouth a few times while she stood glaring at me. I couldn't believe it was her! I had fantasized about this moment so many times in the past year, but not like this! I had not anticipated our first meeting to go like this. Hell, I hadn't even thought that I'll meet her like this. As her new boss!_

_It felt so damn good to see her again after a freaking year and I just didn't know what to do. She looked so beautiful that I wanted to take her right there and then._

_Focus, Masen! You hurt her, no destroyed her and all you can think about is how sexy she looks? Disgusting. You should drop to your knees, explain what happened and beg for her forgiveness!_

_I took a deep breath but instead of apologizing or even explain what I did and why I did it, all I could say was, "Bella…"_

And that's it. That was all I was capable of saying, because honestly, what could I have possibly said? I'm sorry? I've missed you? I love you? No. Instead, I just sat there, watching as Bella continued to glare angrily at me.

I drank in her sight, committing her features to memory. This was probably the last time I was going to see her. In a minute, she would call the cops and haul my sorry ass into jail. It was exactly what I deserved.

But when she opened her mouth, it was to say something else entirely, "What the _fuck _are you doing here?"

I was confused now. That was not what I had expected. A scream, yes. Maybe even insults mixed with some death threats. But not this. Totally taken off guard, I gave my best answer, "This is my house."

And, could we have a round of applause for giving the most shitty reply ever! Seriously? _This is my house? _I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on my idiocy before she spoke again.

"What do you mean, this is your house? This house belongs to my friend Alice. Don't tell me you managed to con her too! Wasn't my fortune enough for you? Or do you get some sick pleasure in destroying lives?"

I winced. That was low, but I had it coming. Then I tensed. Wait, she was Alice's friend? Oh fuck, that was not good. Going to jail I could deal with, but having the family know about me? That was something I would not allow- ever.

Sitting up straight, I squared my shoulders and brought back the asshole I had hoped to get rid of permanently. But in a situation like this, arrogance was my best defense. I had to get the attention away from Alice.

I looked at her directly in the eye before sneering, "Actually, this house belongs to Alice's brother. And _that _is, well, yours truly."

And add smirk for effect. Oh yes, I could see her getting worked up. Her eyes narrowed, her eyebrows came closer together and she started shaking slightly.

Obviously she hadn't been expecting such a behavior from me and fuck, angry Bella was the most sexy thing I had ever seen. _Seriously? You're thinking about that right now? _I thought, disgusted with myself.

But something had changed. This wasn't the gentle, sweet angel I had fallen in love with. She had been replaced by a more confident, aggressive and sexy as fuck, hellcat. And the hellcat was looking at me with murderous eyes.

"Does Alice know about you? Is she involved in this too? Was her show of friendship just some kind of a sick, twisted joke?"

Damn it! Why couldn't she just forget about Alice? I _had _to get her from thinking about her. I chose my next words very carefully and regarded her with slightly nervous eyes.

"Alice has nothing to do with this. And believe me, it was not my plan to meet you ever again. I have no fucking idea how you ended up here."

I knew that came out wrong the minute I said it. The asshole in me was just on a roll wasn't he?

I could see a change in Bella's expression. It had transformed from angry into out-right disgusted. I really was a pig.

Her lip curled slightly and she lashed out, "Oh, _I'm sorry_ your plan didn't work out. It must be _terribly _hard for YOU to be near me again! Well, FUCK YOU, asshat! I don't give a shit about your goddamn plan. And believe _me, _your face is the last thing I wanted to see!"

Now, you would imagine I would have stopped right there. A comment like that should have been enough to shake some sense into me and I should have fallen at her feet, begging for forgiveness. But did I do that? No, I did not!

Instead, I said something that got me nominated straight away for 'Biggest Douchebag Ever'.

"Tsk, tsk. Didn't you know insulting your _boss _on the first isn't the best way to make an impression on him?"

That's right. I played the boss card on the girl whose life I had ruined, on the girl I happened to love. And I don't blame her for what she did next.

Walking over to me, she raised her hand and SMACK! Her hand met my cheek, hard, causing my head to turn to the side. And fuck, the woman has got some strength. I was just about to rub my cheek when, SMACK! Another slap. I probably deserved the next one that was coming but my self-defense mechanism came back and my hands formed manacles around her wrists.

When I had worked up enough courage to look her in the eye, I saw precisely why hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That, right there was a woman scorned and she was out for blood.

Without so much as flinching, she managed to break my grasp on her. And that is when the dominant male in me decided to turn up. I swear I was in no control of my brain when I said, " Enough. I will not tolerate anymore."

Cue the rant.

"HA! You won't tolerate anymore? That's rich! After what you did, _you _won't tolerate anymore? You- "

I cut her off abruptly and clamped my hand over her mouth. Mistake. Big mistake. Touching her, feeling her lips against my skin, having her so close with her warm brown eyes staring into mine, I had no control over myself. None at all.

Every cell in my brain went dead and automatically I started leaning towards her. Fortunately, her mind seemed to be in a much better condition than mine and she jumped back at once, recoiling from my touch.

I opened my mouth to apologize but she left the room before I could say anything more than her name, slamming the door behind her. The sound brought me back to my senses and I collapsed against the bed-frame. What the _fuck _had just happened?

Had I really just seen Bella again? Was she living in _my _house? Had all my prayers to see her once again actually been answered? Could I possibly be getting a very tiny, albeit very real second chance?

No, that was much too far-fetched. There was no way in hell Bella and I could ever have a future together. But I did have the chance to be with her for the next few months. I might even be able to convince her to forgive me. Maybe…

But first, I needed to get out of my wet clothes. Changing into something dry, I started rummaging around in my drawers for the contract of Bella's employment.

Ah! There it was. The magical paper that allowed me to have Bella near me for one whole year! I could have danced right there and then.

However, the first thing I had to do now was to go and apologize to Bella. I would beg, grovel, do anything just to make her give me a chance to explain. Nothing had gone the way I had planned after the heist and it was imperative that Bella knew why she was now being forced to work as a house-sitter instead of spending her life contently with my share of the money- the one I had intended to somehow give to her once I had disappeared.

Taking a deep breath, I went out of the room to the living room. I could hear some indistinct sounds coming from Bella's room and I paced anxiously, clutching my hair in anticipation of her reaction when she would come out.

But when she did appear, she was wheeling a suitcase behind her. It all clicked. Of course! That's what the sounds were. She was packing up her stuff and leaving like she should do. Remorsefully, I realized that there was no way she would have agreed to stay, under my employment at that.

And then, I was angry. NO! She couldn't leave me. Not when fate had decided to give me another chance. It wasn't fair for her to leave. Directing my anger towards her, I demanded, "Where are you going?"

She lifted her head wearily and I could see her eyes were red. She had been crying. Her whole demeanor had changed and she seemed…tired.

" I'm leaving, obviously. Listen, Anthony or Edward or…whatever, I'm not interested in calling the cops on you and having you arrested. That wish died a few months after you had left and we both know that there wouldn't be any point of me filing a report for a case that had been declared a dead end months ago. I just want to get the hell away from you and get on with my life, okay?"

I heard her but it took me some time to process what she said. She didn't even know my name! I knew that of course, but I had forgotten this trivial thing and it hurt for me to realize that she knew nothing about me.

And a dead end? What was she talking about? Of course she could call the cops! She knew it was me. The cops would know it was me. So why wasn't she calling them?

And she was absolutely right. She deserved a life without me. I should have let her go- that would have been the right thing to do. But I was too selfish for that.

"It's Edward, Edward Cullen. And…no."

There, I said it. Once again I proved just how much of an asshole I could be. She stiffened upon hearing that. She hadn't imagined I would say no. Why would she? She knew nothing of my feelings for her- and probably never would.

"What do you mean, no?" she demanded.

"I mean, no, you are not leaving. You were hired to be my house-sitter, and you have a one-year contract."

I could see some life coming back into her. Her attitude was returning and she was getting pissed.

"Why, Edward? What is your damn problem? Why are you doing this?"

_Because I love you! _But I couldn't say that. No. That was illogical. And there was no way she would have believed that. So, I gave her the only rational, but extremely pathetic, excuse I could come up with in a cold voice, "Finding a new house-sitter would be very inconvenient. You are to stay here until I can make other arrangements, and that is final."

_Bastard! _My mind was screaming at me. _Let her go! You've ruined her life once, why are you doing it again?_

But this was not desire. This was survival. Once, I could let go of her. But twice? It was impossible.

My goddess continued to glare at me and my heart sank. She was the one thing I loved the most. And I was the one thing she hated. Fuck my life.

* * *

**A/N: Sucks to be him, doesn't it? I guess life wasn't so easy on him after all- but he totally deserves it. We have some twists, turns and confessions coming up in the next few chapters! But, sadly, our exams are starting so we won't be able to update next weekend. **

**But I promise we'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible! **

**Don't forget to review :)**


	19. Complications

**A/N: Okay..here's the new chapter..Sorry for the late update. We have a lot going on at school right now but hope you like it. :)**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all the characters...Alas.. :P**

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I was fuming as I drove to Alice's place. I had to actually take freaking permission from Anthony…oh no, from _Edward _to go out! Just who the hell did that asshole think he was?! I had lied to him and had told him that I was going to the bookstore to just calm down and try and sort the mess out which was currently my 'life'. Yeah right. He had seemed suspicious at first but then had finally given me the _permission _to go. Like he had any control over what I did and who I met. Stupid jerk. I didn't know if I should go to Alice or not since her brother had literally destroyed my life and was probably gonna destroy it more by coming back. But fuck it. I needed someone to talk to and she was my best friend. And also, she had a right to know what all her brother did.

I parked outside on the curb and pressed the buzzer like a maniac.

"It's open!" Alice's voice chirped over the intercom.

I barged inside and started my rant before she even had time to say hello. I needed to vent out my frustration fast otherwise my head was gonna explode. "Today is one of the worst days of my life! 'Cause guess who I saw?!"

I obviously didn't wait for an answer and said, "Anthony! I saw the utter asshole again when I had decided to never ever see him again after everything! But I guess that's just how my life is! It can never be perfect right?" I laughed bitterly. So anyways, when I saw him, I lost it completely and just threw the tray of food on him, coffee and all…"

"Wait!" Alice interrupted me. "You threw coffee and food on _him?!" _ , she asked me incredulously. Her mouth was wide open and I could actually see pride on her face. "I taught you well, my young grasshopper! You go, girl!"

I smirked and continued, "So yeah, then I just freaked out completely and ran out of there and started crying. Then I calmed down a bit and I was just leaving when that asshole came and stopped me and gave me shit like 'You can't go' and all that crap. I mean, that bastard didn't even have the decency to even apologize, not that I'm gonna accept it, but he had the audacity to be his usual arrogant, cocky self and act like an asshole! Though I can't blame him since he _is _one…"

Alice jumped up suddenly and started screaming, "I'll kill him! I'll kill that bastard! How dare he? Huh? How dare he treat you like shit and act this way? I am going over there right now and I'm gonna strangle him! And I may be tiny but no one stands a chance against me when they mess with my best friend. _No one_!"

"Aww, Ali! That is so sweet of you. But you see, I already took care of him." I said while grinning evilly.

"What? How?" Alice asked me.

"Listen. So after all that, I screamed my head off at him and he also tried to be demanding and said stuff like how _**I**_ruined his freaking plan! Then I screamed at him some more and that douchebag said some more shit that pushed me over the edge and so I slapped him. Twice. And he totally deserved it."

"You WHAT?!" Alice shrieked.

"I slapped him." I said, smirking. "Twice."

"Ohmigod Bella! I am so freaking proud of you! I am so happy to see you so strong and confident and slapping cocky assholes around!"

"Thank you, thank you. Okay so listen! His expression. It was priceless. I swear, if I hadn't been angry at him at that time, I would have died laughing. It was epic. But then, he held my hands and became his dominant self and blabbed some more crap like 'Enough, I will not tolerate it anymore' and shit. As if I could tolerate _him _in the first place. And as if that pansy couldn't tolerate two freaking slaps. What a baby. So then I yelled at him some more and told him that I was leaving but that arrogant jerk was not having it. Because for once, things were not going his way. I bet you a million bucks, he had not expected me to scream and shout at him, throw coffee on him and slap him. Maybe he was expecting me to be a little pissed and melt in his arms after a heart-wrenching apology- if the jerk even had the courage to say one- and then everything would have gone his way again. But he better get used to the new me now and know that the world is not gonna be at his fingertips now. That's just the way things are gonna be around here now so he better get used to it!" I said while smirking.

"But you haven't even heard the best part!" I said sarcastically. "Anthony, a.k.a Edward Cullen is my new boss! And I have to live with that douchebag for the whole year now because of the freaking contract! So now, in short my life is doomed!"

I took a deep, much-needed breath and flopped down on Alice's fuzzy couch. She was really quiet so I looked at her and when I did, I realized that I had made a big mistake. I had not decided to break the news like that. But I was so caught up in telling her everything that it just slipped out. _Way to go Bella!_

She looked completely horrified and her big eyes were wide and were already tearing up. "Are you trying to say that my brother, your new boss, is Anthony?" Alice asked me in a deadly calm voice, accentuating the words brother, new boss and Anthony.

"Yes." I whispered, dreading what was going to happen next.

"What?! Are you fucking crazy?! Do you even hear yourself? You have finally lost it! It was bound to happen after what all you've been through! But that doesn't mean that you can say such stuff about my brother, Bella! My brother who you've never even met! How can you even think like that? What is wrong with you?!"

"No Alice. I know that I'm not going crazy. It said Edward Cullen on his tag and it was Anthony inside! I would never lie to you about this! Why would I? I know what I saw. I don't think I could ever forget Anthony or…Edward's face ever again! You have to believe me."

She didn't say anything and we sat like that in a really awkward silence for at least 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure that in those 10 minutes, a hundred gay babies were born. Finally she broke the silence and I sighed in relief.

"I don't know Bella. I am so confused. You mean, it was _my brother_ who broke your heart and ruined your life? It's because of my brother that you lost your fortune and are now dealing with so much stuff right now? And now, it's my brother you're working for?! Oh, Bella! I am so sorry! How could I let this happen to you! I am such a terrible friend! Oh, God!"

She started crying and I tried to console her. I hugged her and said, "Shh. Alice it's not your fault. You didn't know either. So he was lying to you too! I am so sorry. I know exactly how you feel but please, stop crying. It is not your fault. It's all his fault for hurting me and you too! I love you Alice. You would never do something like this to me. Now stop crying. C'mon."

She calmed down and said quietly, "Bella I believe you. I know you could not have imagined something like this, even though you do have a pretty wild imagination." She cracked a smile. "But right now I just feel so confused. The brother I hero-worship, who means so much to me is someone who I actually never knew. And he damaged you beyond repair. So I understand if you want to…you know, hand him in or something. I mean, it will take some time to get used to the idea and Esme and Carlisle will be completely devastated but I know how much he hurt you and if you really want to hand him over to the police, I…I won't stop you. I understand. I would have wanted to do the same thing if I were in your place.

I could tell that she did not really want this but was only saying this because she knew what all I'd been through because of him. She loved me that much. But even if she did tell me herself to hand him over I don't think I would have been able to do it. There was still a part of me- an utterly foolish part of me- that still had some feelings for him. After all, I had loved him. But more importantly, I couldn't do something like that to Alice and his parents. I hated him, no, I _loathed_ him but I wouldn't do that to his family just because of his shitty ways. But I was going to make sure that he was going to be punished not just for ruining my life, but also for putting my best friend through all this. Edward Cullen was going to pay.

I turned back to Alice and said, "No, Alice. I won't be able to do it to you and your parents. But I am going to punish him, that's for sure." She gave me a weak smile and started punching in some numbers on her phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"I'm calling Jake."

"For what?"

"He'll know what to do."

I didn't want to argue more with her in her fragile mental state so I just kept quiet and waited for her to finish talking to Jake. Once she hanged up, she laid her head on the back of the couch and we sat in some more awkward silence. Two hundred gay babies.

The buzzer went off and I quickly got up to open the door.

I opened the door and saw Jake standing there with a very weird expression on his face. He was half smiling, half looking confused and for some reason, he also looked a bit nervous. "Hey, Jake. Come in." I said.

"Hey, Bells. Alice told me it was something very important so I came as quickly as I could. So what's up?"

I quickly filled him in on all of today's drama. He just stood there looking shocked, once turning to look at Alice and then back at me. He did this three four times and then I started getting annoyed. Was no one gonna give me a normal reaction? Actually, this situation was not exactly normal…

Then I saw the change. Jake's whole body was tense and he looked pretty pissed off. Pretty was an understatement. He turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" I said.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch! He is a dead man!"

"Jake wait! You can't go over there! You need to calm down- we ALL need to calm down and decide what to do."

"Decide what to do?! The decision is already made! I'm gonna beat the crap out of that asshole and then we're handing him in!"

I looked over at Alice. She hadn't said anything ever since Jake had come and was just staring at the TV. I was secretly getting worried about her.

"Jake, you don't understand. This asshole you're talking about is Alice's _brother._ We can't do something like that to Alice. No matter how much he hurt me, I could never do something like that to hurt her. But that doesn't mean that I'm gonna keep quiet and do nothing about it at all. I'm gonna punish that jerk, alright."

"Okay Bella. It's your call. But if he even lays one finger on you or even makes one tear fall from your eye, he is a dead man!"

"Thanks Jake. But I'm not that Bella anymore. I can handle him now. I already slapped him twice today!"

"Nice one Bells!"

I smiled at him and went over to Alice and put an arm around her shoulder. She looked at me and gave me a tiny smile. I squeezed her tighter. We were all quiet for a few minutes. Then I heard Jake clear his throat. He was looking nervous again.

"Jake, what's wrong?" I said.

"Umm…I know this is not the right time for this Bella and I really wish I could have done this some other way but I can't keep it to myself and I have to tell you right now. Even though this is the shittiest timing ever and it may make things worse but I'm gonna tell you anyways.

"Tell me what Jake?"

He took a deep breath, looked me straight in the eye and said,

"I've fallen in love with you Bella."

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**A/N: Whoa! Another cliffy! And so much drama in one day! ;) :P**

**Anyways, some of you may not have understood the "gay babies" thing. It's just a joke we share with our friends. Every time we have an awkward silence, someone says "a gay baby is born" and we all laugh and break the silence. It's pretty funny actually. :D**

**Anyways, so you all know what to do! Keep reviewing as always and we'll keep you updated! ;)**


	20. Decisions, Decisions

**A/N: I'm so sorry! I realize that the update is more than a little late. But we've been so busy the past couple of weeks, this fanfic was sort of pushed to back. But, to make up for it, the chapter is extra long and I think you all will be quite happy with the ending… and maybe frustrated to know what's next :P**

**Anyways…read on!**

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BPOV

I made sure to slam the door very loudly as I marched inside my house to let _someone _know of my presence. On second thoughts, I probably should have crept inside quietly to avoid meeting him. Oh well. At least I disturbed him if he was working…or sleeping. Personally, I was sure it was the latter because... well, why _would _he be working? He had _my _money! He could live off it pretty comfortably.

Anyways, I was sick and tired of thinking about him all the time. But then, somehow I wasn't even able to stop. He was just _there._ Sometimes as a faint shadow, and sometimes occupying my mind completely, but somehow omnipresent though I wished otherwise.

I tried to think about something else, something pleasant. Strawberries, chocolate, Alice, Jacob. I sighed. Ah, _Jacob. _After the shock he gave me this afternoon, I frankly had no idea what to do. I mean, I handled the situation pretty well if you ask me. But no matter how I reacted, I knew things were going to be awkward between us.

Entering my room, I literally fell into the bed on my back and closed my eyes. Immediately, my thoughts went to this afternoon and what had happened after Jake's little 'surprise' …

~_Flashback~_

_He took a deep breath, looked me straight in the eye and said,_

"_I've fallen in love with you Bella."_

_What. The. Fuck!_

_Where did _that _come from? I observed his face carefully, looking for any sign that he might be joking- something to give away the fact that what I had heard was not true. But…no. His face was perfectly straight and his dark, black eyes pierced my in a way that made me kind of uncomfortable, and yet hypnotized me so I couldn't look away._

_Something had changed. The moment Jake had confessed his feelings, there had been an immediate change though I couldn't put my finger on it. But whatever it was, it made me view Jacob in a new light. It was as though I had never seen him before…_really _seen him, that is._

_I had of course noticed his dark, tanned skin but had never admired the way it brought out his dark eyes. His features had always seemed nice, __but now that I stared at him they seemed almost …perfect? And his smile. Even though he wasn't smiling, I could recall perfectly how warmly he smiled, his pearly-whites on display and the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly._

_And then, the worst possible thing happened. My mind chose that particular moment to flash an unusual shade of bronze in my head and I jerked back as though I had been electrocuted. I recognized that color all too well. But why? Why would my mind conjure up _this _image? What was wrong with my subconscious?_

_Whatever it was, I knew that the moment was over and I would never, ever look at Jacob as anything more than a friend again. I started to say something but he just shook his head lightly and a tiny smile appeared on his face. _

_"Your face has always been an open book to me, Bells. I don't need to hear your answer. I already know it. "_

_Once again, I opened my mouth…but nothing came out. Instead, I tried to convey my feeling through my eyes. I was so sorry. But I couldn't, I simply _couldn't _reciprocate his feelings. Maybe it was the wrong time, with all that was going on in my life right now, but I wasn't ready for a relationship- wasn't ready for him._

_Jake didn't look sad, or even disappointed. Well, not much. More than anything, he was just resigned. As though he had already accepted that my answer was no. His next words proved me right._

_"It's okay, Bells. I knew you didn't feel this way about me. In fact, with what's going on in your life, I would have been surprised as hell if you _did _return my feelings. But don't worry. My aim was not to make you feel guilty, or even to ask you out. I just wanted you to know how I felt about you. After all you've been through, I wanted you to know that there's someone who will always be there for you…and he is willing to be whatever you need."_

_Honestly, I felt a bit annoyed at that comment. What did he mean, 'after all you've been through'? Was this some kind of pity he felt? But looking at his face, I knew without doubt that it was nothing of the sort. He genuinely cared about me- a lot. And looking at his face, I also knew there was no scope for us. _

_Rising from my seat, I walked over to him and hugged him, tightly. I did care for him, but just not in _that _way. His arms came around me and held me firmly to him. I knew he understood. This was his way of saying that it was all right. _

_And of course, someone _had _to ruin the moment. I had forgotten all __about Alice, who had been sitting quietly in the corner. It was only when she gave a loud sniff that I raised my head from Jake's shoulder and turned to look at her. _

_"That was sooo sweet, you guys! And no matter what, we'll always be best friends, right?" Honestly? Did it seem as if she had just recently got to know that her _brother _was practically a male prostitute who stole other people's money after seducing them? _

_But then, I didn't want to remind her of the fact. Nothing to ruin the nice moment. I was with my two favorite people in the world, and that was what mattered._

_~Flashback~_

Damn. Now that I thought about it, could we have been any cheesier? But I suppose there were times now and then when such moments just…_happened. _And yup, definitely needed to stop reading all those crappy philosophical books I had recently started reading. The only philosophy I had read that came close to describing actual, _real _life was 'life sucks and then you die'. Now _that _was true.

I mean, could my life be any shittier? Apart from my Alice and Jake, who were the best part of my life, was there any redeeming feature of my life? I probably sounded all self-centered and self-pitying at that moment, but seriously, what would you expect?

My parents were gone. I gave my virginity to an asshole who was only interested in my money and had high-tailed his ass away as soon as he had accomplished his mission. My house had been taken away since my parents had never told me that it was on mortgage in the first place. I had been forced to drop out of college and had worked as a waitress in a coffee shop. And now, when my life had _finally _gotten back on it's track and I had been able to let go of the past, the asshole reappeared in my life, as none other than my boss! One I had to live with at that. And I was now lying on my bed after being told by my best friend that he was in love with me (although I sure was glad if it had to be my best friend it was Jake and not Alice. Now _that _would have sucked!). But really, how could it possibly be any worse?

I got my answer in a few seconds. Apparently my situation could be worse! His Royal Jerkness had chosen that very moment to summon me to his royal chamber.

His soft voice came floating through my bedroom door and gave me goosebumps (I wasn't sure if it was in a good way or a bad) "Bella! Can I see you in my room for a minute?"

Gritting my teeth, I yanked open the bedroom door before making my way to his room. Stomping inside, I stopped just a few feet away from his desk where he was sitting. Tapping my feet impatiently I looked at him, correction, glared at him with my arms crossed.

After a few moments, when he didn't say anything, I couldn't take it any more. Conjuring the sweetest voice I could, I smiled a fake smile and said, "You called me, Anthony?"

Yeah, I knew that shit would piss him off. He knew I knew his name, so using his alias would surely irritate him. And yup, he didn't disappoint. His eyebrows pulled together in an annoyed frown and he glared at the desk. And suddenly, it vanished.

Instead, his scowl was replaced by a rather smug grin- and I didn't like it, not one bit. As usual, when he opened his mouth, it was only to piss me off.

"Bella, I am your new employer and you will address me as Mr. Cullen. Next, I wanted to know why you didn't report to me as soon as you entered the house."

What a jerk. Matching his expression with a slight smirk of my own, I answered, "Well, _Mr. Cullen, _it's _Isabella _to you since, as you pointed out, I am your employee. And I wasn't aware that reporting to you every minute of the day was in my job description. The contract I signed never stated this duty. In fact, I was rather under the impression that you would be out of town most of the time, which was one of the main reasons I actually _accepted _the job." There. That ought to wind him up a bit.

Oh yes. I could see his face turning red now. He wasn't annoyed. Oh no. He was positively _mad. _The fury was apparent on his face though I couldn't understand why. I mean, how the hell could _he _be angry? After everything he did, how could he have the fucking _audacity _to be mad at me?

His face cleared up in a moment and his expression now was one I was only too familiar with. With an arrogant sneer in my direction, he said in a cruel way, "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, sweetheart, but I'll be home quite often now. I don't know what you planned to do when I was away, but you better change the venue. Looks like you'll have to find a different place to fuck!"

I recoiled as though he had slapped me. I couldn't believe he just said that. I could bear comments about anything but _this _was a sore subject for me. After what he had done, I had changed myself completely but I could never bring myself to be physically intimate with a man again. Alice and Jake knew about this and they usually steered clear of the topic in front of me. So, to hear someone insinuate that I was basically a whore, especially when that guy was the only one I had ever had sex with- now _that _was a slap in the face.

I stared at him wordlessly and to my horror I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I guess he saw them too since he started to backtrack.

"Shit, that came out wrong. I'm sorry… It didn't mean…I meant…No, Bella…Wait!"

Unable to stand the sight of him for even a minute, I turned and fled his room, heading straight for mine and locking the door of my room behind me. I felt sick. Edward's callous face flashed in my mind. He had said it so casually, so nonchalantly. But then I suppose in his profession, sex wasn't exactly the big deal it was for me, even now. But still, to hear him speak so insensitively… That was the last straw.

As memories of our first time flooded my head, I felt dizzy. Blindly, I flailed my arms around and wrapped my hand around a small object. Opening my eyes, I saw that it was my phone. I observed it for a minute. I wanted to keep it down, but for some reason, my fingers clutched it tightly, unwilling to let go of it.

As I looked at the small, rectangular device, a tiny voice started whispering vicious taunts into my head. All the emotions I had locked away, the grief I had finally overcome, the feeling of being miserably helpless- it all came back to me.

The negative emotions strengthened my resolve and I brought the phone near to my body. A new mantra was chanting in my head. _I had suffered, it was his turn. I had suffered, it was his turn. He should be punished. Revenge. Revenge. REVENGE._

All thoughts of Alice, of what we had decided, had fled from my mind. Flipping open the phone, I typed determinedly. 9-1-1. Call.

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**A/N: There, she's calling the cops. Are ya happy now?**

**Btw, I'm not sure if 911 is just used in emergencies or for any situation (I don't live in USA). So if this isn't the number, I'm sorry that I haven't done my research :(**

**As always…please review! **


	21. Arrest

**A/N: Okay… so a lot of new developments…Edward's going to jail! Finally! But…just read!**

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**EPOV**

I was sitting in my room going looking for a new job- it was high time I found a new one- when I heard the doorbell ring.

"Bella! Are you going to get that?" I hollered. She didn't even bother to reply.

_Of course._ Groaning, I got up to open the door. Where the hell was she anyways? I opened the door and saw two cops looking suspiciously at me.

What the hell was all this about? I started to freak out a bit.

"Good afternoon gentlemen." I said as I calmly as I could manage. "What can I do for you?"

"We're looking for Edward Cullen."

"That would be me. Why were you looking for me?" What the fuck was going on? Why were these two cops after me? I don't remember doing anything illegal unless….

"Mr. Cullen, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent but you're gonna have to come with us." One of them said calmly while the other one held out a pair of handcuffs.

"What the hell are you talking about? What for? You can't just waltz in my fucking apartment and say that I'm under arrest! Who the hell filed a complaint against me?" I yelled so loudly that I was sure our nosy neighbors could hear everything. But I didn't give a shit. I was being fucking _arrested_. Who would do this to me?

Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and saw Bella come forward somewhat hesitantly. But she also had an uncharacteristic glint in her eyes. And did she look…_triumphant_?! It didn't take a while for the pieces to fall together. _ She _called the cops on me! _She _was the reason I was going to jail! And I damn well knew what for. I was in deep shit.

But I was also unreasonably angry though I knew I had no right to be. I knew I deserved this. Actually, I deserved much worse for the way I treated her. But I never expected _her _to do this! I always thought that one of the others I had conned would have called the cops but not _Bella_! Bella was different! And she loved me…That thought made me even angrier. I didn't know who I was angrier at – at her or at myself for landing into this mess.

"What fuck were you thinking?! What is wrong with you?! _Why would you do this to me?!" _

She narrowed her eyes dangerously at me and I knew that she wanted to scream back at me but was too polite to do so in front of the cops.

So, ignoring me, she said, "Hello. I'm Bella Swan. I'm the one who filed the complaint. Thank you for coming."

One of them- his badge read Newton- said, "It's not a problem, miss."

To me, he said in a gruffer and less friendly tone, "Let's go, shall we, Mr. Cullen?"

I knew there was no point in fighting and yelling at Bella. It would just create more gossip for our stupid neighbors. Sighing, I hesitantly held my hand out and the cop clicked it in place. I turned and looked at Bella with an expression of pain and betrayal on my face. One that clearly said _I never thought you would do this to me_. I knew that I was an extremely selfish bastard for thinking so. She looked back at me wordlessly but I think I saw her façade break a bit.

She looked a little confused and _regretful_? But then she looked at my handcuffed hands and that expression went away and back came the steely glint in her eyes.

I sighed and turned away from her. I couldn't even bear to look at her now. The worst part was that I actually deserved it. But I never expected her to this to me. I guess whatever I said to her this morning finally broke her. I was full of a feeling of disgust and self-loathing throughout the whole ride. I was on my one in this mess since I was the one who had made it anyways. Bella would never know how much I regretted whatever I had done to her. I decided to not cause any more trouble and do exactly what the cops said till they decided the verdict.

After that…No, I didn't even want to think about that.

We reached the police station and the cops put me in an interrogation room. It was a white rectangular room with bright lighting, with a table and chair in the center. I sat on the chair facing a big cop with a disapproving expression on his face. I bet he looked at everyone who came in here like that.

"So, Mr. Cullen, how do you know Ms. Swan?" he asked me.

"We used to see each other."

"Why did she file a complaint against you?"

"I don't know."

"Did you abuse her?"

"No."

"Then why do you think she called us?"

"I said, I don't know!"

"Calm down Mr. Cullen. This is my job and you _are _going to answer the questions politely and truthfully. Ms. Swan called us and told us that you were the one who stole the 30 million dollars from her private vault in her mansion last year. Is it true?"

I didn't say anything and looked down at the table.

"Mr. Cullen, I asked you if it is true. _Did you or did you not take the money from Ms. Swan's vault_?"

There was no way I was going to tell him the truth, even though the moral side in me was telling me to confess. But I couldn't, not when Bella had come back in my life once again. I would make things right between us myself. So I said,

"No." as convincingly as I could.

"Then why do you think Ms. Swan accused you of stealing her money?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know who took the money?"

"No."

"Why did you break up?"

"I can't tell you that. It's personal."

He was quiet for some time. Then he said, "Ok, Mr. Cullen. I think that's enough. Some officers are running background checks on you and are checking you recent bank activities. If everything is fine, you can call someone to bail you out. Till then, you have to stay in one of the cells."

He got up and I followed him to a cell. I went inside and he locked it and walked away, giving me another disapproving look. I sighed and laid my head against the wall with my eyes closed, suddenly tired of all this drama. I just wanted to wake up and find out that this was all a nightmare with Bella sleeping peacefully at my side.

But this was no dream. This was real and it was happening. I just didn't know what to do. I don't know for how long I sat like that but I knew for certain that my life was fucked up for sure.

After what felt like a million hours, I heard the lock of my cell click open and I opened my eyes and saw Newton open the door. I quickly scrambled up and followed him.

The guy who had interrogated me earlier said, "Well Mr. Cullen, looks like you are innocent. We didn't find anything suspicious in you background check and the thirty million dollars are not in any of your bank accounts nor have you transferred any relatively large sum of money to any other account. We have nothing to hold you here for. You can use the phone to call someone to pick you up and then you have to sign some paperwork. Otherwise, you are free to go."

"Thank you." I said without emotion. I just wanted to go home now. I was sick of all this.

I quickly signed the paperwork and called Emmett. He didn't pick up so I had to dial again. This time, he picked up on the third ring.

"EDWARD!" He bellowed into the phone. I cringed and held the phone away. I sighed and said, "Not now Em. Listen, could you come to the police station and pick me up? I was just released from arrest."

Emmett laughed loudly and said, "That's a nice one Eddie! I almost fell for that one!"

I gritted my teeth and growled, "It's. Not. A. Joke. Don't mess with me right now Em. Please. Just do what I say."

Emmett heard my serious tone and thankfully stopped laughing. "Ok, ok. Where are you?" He asked concernedly.

I gave him the address of the station and he promised me that he would reach there in ten minutes. I waited for him and he actually reached in time for once.

"Eddie!" He ran inside and gave me a huge bear hug. I patted his back awkwardly and then asked him to let go. That guy was going to kill me one day.

"What's going on?! What the hell were you arrested for? Who did this to you?! I swear, I'll kill them!" he yelled loudly.

I saw the cops giving Emmett dirty looks so I said quickly, "I'll tell you in the car" before the cops arrested Emmett or something.

I told Emmett the full story on the way home and he actually chuckled when he found out that _Bella _called the cops on me. "Whoa. She's one dangerous chick."

_Tell me about it. _The rest of the ride passed in silence and I contemplated what I would say to Bella and how she would react.

We reached my apartment and I thanked Emmett who said, "You owe me a big one dude. I was with Rosie right now and she was –"

"Emmett! Too much info! Gross!" I said laughing.

He winked at me and sped down the road I bet in a hurry to continue what he had been doing with _Rosie_. I smirked and went up to my apartment. I rang the bell. The expression on Bella's face when she saw me standing there was too funny but I tried to control my smile. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"But…what?!...I thought you were…I don't understand…"

"Hello, Bella." I smirked at her.

"You. What the hell are you doing back here?! You were arrested! Did you escape from jail or something?" she yelled.

"Relax, Bella. I would do no such thing. They let me go."

"Let-let you go?! What the hell are you talking about?! How?! And WHY?!" she was definitely mad now.

"You see Bella, they didn't have any proof to keep me locked up there. My background check was normal and they didn't find the money in any of my bank accounts nor was there any transfer of large sums of money from my account. So you see, I'm innocent."

"Innocent?!" she screeched. "Are they out of their fucking minds? You took my money! You are lying! And you lied to the cops too! I'm calling the cops right now and I'm telling them that apart from a thief, you are now an escaped convict too!"

She took out her phone and punched in 911 furiously. She started telling them that I was back and demanded to know what the hell was happening. It looks like whatever the cop was saying to her made her angrier because when she got off the phone she was absolutely livid.

"I just don't understand how they could release you like that! Not enough proof, my foot! You deserve to be behind bars right now and you know it too!" she shouted.

Hearing her say that made something just snap inside me and I said in a dangerously calm voice, "They let me go Bella. Get over it. They had no proof to keep me there as a criminal. So, you're just going to have to deal with it."

"NO! You are lying! I bet you still have the money and managed to hide this fact even from the cops!"

I couldn't take it anymore and I started yelling back at her. "You don't know a single fucking thing about what I did with the money! I didn't even want that money! I just _had_ to do it alright?! You will never understand! You will never find the money because even _I _don't know where it is! _I don't have your fucking money!"_

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**A/N: :O He doesn't have it? He's telling the truth you know! It'll all make sense in the next chapter… and hopeful Edward will get a shred of understanding if not sympathy...**

**Review pls :D**


	22. Truce

**A/N: So, a reaaaallly long time since we've updated and we are extremely sorry! There is no excuse for this. But hopefully, you guys aren't too mad and will leave reviews :D**

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**Chapter 17- Truce**

**EPOV**

She was silent for some time and I couldn't tell if she actually believed me or not. But then,

"Really, Edward? You actually think that I'm gonna believe you? Do you think you can fool me once again? Well, I'm extremely sorry to shoot your dreams down but you won't be able to fool me anymore. I'm not the naïve and stupid Bella I once was. It's going to be a little inconvenient for you, but you'll live." she said, smirking at me.

I had not expected her to believe me at once and I knew that I would have to try really hard just to get her to listen to me. I wasn't even considering her to forgive me any time sooner because of the way I had treated her and also because of my shitty behavior right now. I knew that she was going to make me grovel but I would do it. I would do anything for her forgiveness. And I would go through anything to get her to forgive me because I deserved it.

So I said, "Bella. Please believe me. I know that it's not easy. I know you can't trust a person who broke your trust and hurt you really badly but I'm dead serious. I_ will not_ joke about this matter. Please just hear me out and I will explain everything to you. I know that I don't deserve it, but please Bella, I'm begging you. I know that it's too late now but I owe you an explanation. Just listen to me this one time. Please Bella."

She had her back turned to me so I couldn't really see her expressions and read her like the open book that she was. She didn't say anything for a long time and I started to get worried.

Then, she said, "Fine. Speak. But keep in mind, it's not gonna change anything at all. I'm just doing this to get you off my back. Understood?"

"Thank you Bella." I said giving her a smile of gratitude. Then I tried to collect my thoughts and tried to figure how I was gonna tell her what exactly had happened after I took the money.

I was still trying to figure out what to say to her when she snapped, "Sometime today, Edward!"

I cleared me throat and started, "Right. I worked for this organisation called Volturi. We basically targeted rich people and conned them. Usually, when it came to rich heiresses, I was always chosen- you might guess why."

I said while smirking. I was trying to act like an arrogant jerk so she couldn't see how nervous and scared I actually was. I couldn't let her see me like that.

I cleared my throat and continued, "So Aro was the founder and the President of the Volturi. I was at a pretty high post myself. Anyways, you were our biggest target till date- 30 million dollars!- and you were my last assignment. I was expecting it to be as simple as always and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the money.

But, I never, even in my wildest dreams expected to con someone like _you_! You were just so different from all the other heiresses I had worked with before and just so innocent and trusting! I hated myself and you too, every second I spent with you. I hated myself because I knew that whatever I was going to do to you was going to destroy you- you had already lost so much. And I hated you for being so innocent and for trusting and even _loving_ a prick like me. I didn't deserve you then and I don't deserve you now.

As we spent more and more time together, you began to grow on me and then I just couldn't bear the thought of hurting you like that. You don't know how much I hate myself for whatever I did to you, Bella. You will never know."

I was quiet for a few seconds as my walls were beginning to crumble and I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep up with my strong façade much longer.

"Anyways, as the months went by, I began to dread the day of the heist. Usually, this was the part I looked forward to for months! But in your case, I wished that the sun never rose on that day and that I would never have had to steal the money from you. You don't know how jumpy I was on the day of the heist. I was mentally torturing myself over what I was going to do to you and I was losing it. After our intense night, I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving you alone in the soft, warm bed where we had shared so many intimate and intense moments and steal your money. I knew that you were going to be completely devastated when you found out and I couldn't even make myself think about what would happen to you after I left."

I shook my head in frustration. "I am such a selfish asshole! So anyways, while I was walking towards the vault, I almost turned around and climbed back into bed with you. But no, I fucking didn't turn around and go back to you! I went into the vault, stole your money and completely fucked things up!"

By this time, I had given up trying to be strong and I just let my emotions go. I couldn't hide my feelings from her any longer. She deserved to know each and every single thing.

"I handed the 30 million dollars to the Volturi and asked them for my share- 5 million dollars. Now, you most probably won't believe this part, but I had decided to give you my share the minute I got it. I was going to transfer all the money immediately into your account. It wouldn't have been all your money, but it would have helped you. And plus, I didn't need that money as a reminder of what I did to you. So I waited for my share for a couple of weeks but I still didn't get it. Then, frustrated as hell, I went to the office to ask Aro for the money. He refused to give it to me and just handed me my resignation letter since it had been my last assignment and all. We had a huge fight which ended up with Aro having a broken nose and him threatening me by saying that he'd hurt you. The bastard knew my soft spot and that asshole did not give me the money. I couldn't even wait for long in Seattle as I had to go to Italy as a precaution slash vacation.

So, basically, I ruined everything by destroying you for no reason and I did not even get the money myself.

I don't even know how I lived in Italy for a year. I mean, sure it's gorgeous and all, but every day, just one thing haunted me- you. From the second I woke up, till the time I went to bed, your thoughts plagued my mind. Hell, you came in my dreams every single night too! I realized then, what I huge mistake I had made. I had lost the one person who meant the entire world to me just for _money_! It's utterly disgusting! I should have just walked away when I had the chance. I can't think of myself without feeling a giant wave of guilt and self-loathing.

I really am very sorry for everything. I know that my stupid apology is not enough but that's all I can give you now. I can't even fucking repay your money to you. All I can do now is apologize. Even if you never forgive me, it doesn't matter. I will still apologize through every action, word and emotion because you deserve it. Because I have realized my mistake- even though it's too late now- and because I mean it this time. And because…Bella…_I love you_."

I had been watching her emotions this whole time. At first she was blank and angry but as I told her my story, I saw pain, anger and even a little bit of sympathy flash across her face-though I didn't deserve it. But, now, she looked shocked. I couldn't blame her though.

That was really shitty timing and a really shitty way to tell her too, but I just _had_ too! I just couldn't keep it in anymore. I could tell her mind was working overdrive and she didn't know what to say or do. So I gave her a few minutes to compose herself.

After a few minutes, she cleared her throat and said, "Look Edward, I appreciate your telling me everything and for coming out in the open just like that. But I don't think I can believe that you actually wanted to give your share back to me. Why would you even do that if you took the money? You shouldn't have taken it in the first place!"

I was fucking desperate now. I knew it was a lot to ask for but I needed her to believe me. "Bella, please trust me. I told you before; I won't lie about these things! Please believe me!"

She still looked a little uncertain so I said, "Look, if you don't believe me, I will transfer all the money from my bank accounts into yours right now. Just trust me! I need you to trust me!"

I know I sounded extremely pathetic and I was practically whining, but I just had to have her believe me.

She stared at me distrustfully and narrowed her eyes. "Please, you wouldn't go that far."

"Wouldn't I?" I challenged her.

She didn't say anything but, for my own peace of mind, I made a couple of calls and pretty soon, all the money was transferred to her account. So yeah, on top of being completely fucked up, I was now completely broke too. My life was shit. I sighed and looked at her. She was looking back at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Edward, you didn't have to do that." She said quietly.

"But I wanted to. You deserve it Bella. You deserve everything in the world because you're worth it. And I was completely honest and serious when I told you that I love you. I really do Bella. And I understand that you may not feel that was anymore, but I just had to tell you."

"I appreciate that Edward. And no, I don't love you anymore and I haven't even forgiven you yet. You have given me a lot to think about and I need some time to figure things out. But thank you for sharing everything with me."

I gave a small smile in her direction. Then, running my fingers through my hair, a nervous habit I had, I asked, " So, what now?"

She shrugged lightly. " Frankly, I don't know. I haven't forgiven you- I _can't _forgive you. But after what you said and did, I-I... shit! I don't know okay! I just can't decide."

Her head hung down slightly and I resisted the temptation ofputting my hand under her chin to pull it back up. Instead, I just looked at her, analyzing every feature, like an artist studying his muse. Or, better yet, a devotee- gazing at the goddess he worshipped. _Yeah, _I thought, _I'm _that _whipped._

A few moments later, she lifted her head and looked directly at me, "Well, you're Alice's brother. And you _did _transfer your money to me. So, I guess I could offer, um, a _truce?"_

Ok?" she said with a small smile.

A _truce_?! Was she fucking kidding me?! I couldn't believe it! It was more than I could have asked for! I knew that she wouldn't forgive me immediately, but I didn't really expect her to make a truce with me. I knew that we were taking baby steps and it was just our fresh start, but this time, I was going to do every single fucking thing right.

She must have seen the delight because she said hastily, " It does not mean that I have decided to forgive you! It's nowhere close. But, I guess what I'm saying is, that, well...I suppose I could try not to kill you." She said this with a slight smile which made my heart soar. "So, a truce. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Yes Bella." I said, flashing her a huge smile. "A truce would be perfect."_ For now._

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**A/N: Okay…so who saw this coming? A thief was robbed himself! Huh, serves him right. But at least he's given her the money. And stopped being such a douche.**_  
_

**The next chapter will have a few changes…We'll put it up by saturday latest! Till then...**

**As always, review!**


	23. Devious

**A/N: Okay, so good news- another chapter is here! But this one is pretty short so we'll make up for it in the next chapter. But I think you'll be pretty surprised with Bella in this one! Enjoy :D**

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BPOV

_"Yes, Bella, " he smiled. "A truce would be perfect."_

I stared at him, trying to keep my expression blank even though I was rejoicing on the inside. This was just amazing! Fucking perfect! Giving him what I hoped was a timid smile, I turned and went back to my room, struggling the urge to skip inside.

Shutting the door behind me, I immediately went to my laptop to check my bank account. I had wondered how he knew what my account was but then, I suppose, as my employer, he had known where to transfer the money. And yep, sure enough, there was now a fat sum lying in my bank account. A whopping 5 million!

That's right. All his life savings (well, I assumed it was all of it), every penny he had ever stolen was now with me. It didn't make up for the 30 million I had lost, or for the heartache he had caused me, but it definitely made me feel great to know that he was now more or less broke.

Thinking of the performance I had put up in front of him brought a smug smirk to my face. The gullible little fool had fallen into his own trap. A truce? Please! I can't believe he actually thought I was going to forgive him! The only reason I had put up with his shit was because of my financial situation. Being the bastard he was, he would have probably sued me had I quit the job. But now, the tables had turned. In fact, I doubt if _he _could afford to sue me now.

The thought had struck me the moment he had transferred he money and the urge to pack my bags and flee had been almost overwhelming. Oh, what wouldn't I have given to see his face, shell shocked, as I ran away from him, knowing that he was completely helpless. But no, I didn't. The new Bella was a lot smarter than that and I now looked ahead.

Running away now might have wounded him for a while, but he would have gotten over it. No, I was going to wait. Now that it was my time for revenge, I wanted to completely crush him. I suppose since I had his money, half of the revenge had been taken care of. It was time for the other half, the painful half (that is, painful for him).

He had played with my emotions. Wormed his way into my bed, into my heart and had then dumped me like I was trash. All his talk of how much he still loved me was just that- talk. Were it actually true, I don't think he would have done what he did to me. I mean, what could possibly make you hurt the person you love in such a heartless manner?

Oh no. Edward Cullen didn't love me. I might have believed it before. I must admit his acting skills had improved and he almost convinced me…_almost. _The only true thing he said was probably that the _Volturi _or whatever it was had ripped him off.

In a way, I was glad. Not that I appreciated the fact that my parents' hard-earned money was with these stupid crime-lords, but it must have stung Edward to get a taste of his own medicine. That's right _Eddie_. Doesn't feel so nice when someone takes away what's yours, does it?

And now, it was time for him to experience the emotional pain he inflicted on all those who had fallen in love with the asshole. So in a way, my revenge was for all those innocent girls he had hurt. What can I say? I was born with a generous soul.

My plan was easy. Make him fall in love with me, for real, and then disappear. Pretty much tit for tat. But to do that, I'd need some leverage. I knew practically nothing about Edward Cullen. But I knew one person who did- Alice!

She'd be perfect! I felt a little guilty at the thought of manipulating her to harm her brother, but then quickly got rid of the feeling. _He did it first!_ Repeating this like a mantra in my head, I strengthened my resolve and began to think.

So, I was living in the same house as him. That should make things a lot easier for me. Also, once I got Alice to agree to my plan, I'd know exactly what would make him tick. There was just a small hitch in the plan- my stupid responsiveness to him.

It was horrible! I could feel his presence more acutely than a human should be able to. We were like magnets, really. And the way I reacted to a simple touch of his was ridiculous! Obviously, the touching should be kept to a minimum throughout the plan.

A vivid image suddenly entered my mind- that of our night together. His soft lips, firm abs. The way he had wound his arms around my frame so protectively. A tremor of longing shot through me and I snapped back to reality, disgusted at myself.

Yup, definitely no touching. Unless, of course, he somehow felt the same way. I supposed I could use this _thing _as an advantage, twist it to suit my needs. Hmm…alright then, touching would be acceptable.

The only thing now was when to end it? After he tells me he loves me? But he's already done that! How would I know when the perfect opportunity is for me to leave him? And then the answer struck me.

Of course. Alice! Who is the one person Edward would go to if he actually fell in love? His sister. From what she told me, Alice and Edward were extremely close. While he didn't tell her what he actually did for a living, should he fall in love with me, he'd definitely go to Alice.

But it was crucial that he didn't know that Alice knew about his _profession._ No, that would have to be a secret.

That's it then, I decided. It was time to put my plan into action. I had to make sure everything was exactly how I wanted for the plan to be a success. The first step, naturally, would be to contact Alice.

As I looked around for my phone, I let a smirk slowly creep onto my face. _Let the games, begin!_

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**A/N: Oooh! Not what anyone expected right? But devious Bella doesn't realize that Edward's already in love with her. Lot's of confusion is gonna take place!**

**And of course, please review! :D (want to reach 200!)**


	24. Plans

**A/N: Okay…so not much in this chapter. Bella's plan becomes more clear and Alice comes into the the picture :D**

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BPOV

_Come on! Pick up, pick up! _I was getting quite frustrated. Why wouldn't Alice pick up? Tapping my foot impatiently, I sighed in relief when I heard her pick up the phone.

"Hey, Bella!" came her chirpy, yet strangely breathless voice. "Sorry it took so long. But Jazz has come over and well, you know…" she trailed off dreamily while I grinned inwardly. Nice to know some things haven't changed.

"So anyways, what's up? Is there something important you want to talk about?"

See, usually Alice was the sweetest person in the world, always ready to gossip about everything and anything. But try to cut into her Jasper-time and…well, she wasn't the most patient listener.

I have a small laugh. "Don't worry, Al. I'm not going to take much of your time. I just wanted to tell you that things are kind of progressing between… _your brother_ and I."

"What? Seriously? That's great! I mean, not that I forgive him for doing what he did- but I'm just happy that my best friend and my brother are now close to each other!"

Whoa! Close? Hold up a minute. We weren't close! I hastened to tell her what I meant, "Okay, Al- Alice, yes. When I said things were progressing, I meant we've stopped trying to wring each other's necks- not that we've become buddies!"

"Oh." I could hear disappointment in her voice which surprised, and kind of offended, me. What did she expect, exactly? I mean, I understand he is family and everything but I couldn't help but feel hurt at the fact that she was so willing to forgive what he did to her best friend so easily.

She must have sensed my feelings because her next words were in a attempt to placate me. "Sorry, Bells. I don't mean to favor him. I am pissed off at him, really I am. I am more than livid at what he did, especially since he never had the need to. But, well, he _is _my brother…" her voice faded away in an apologetic tone, clearly in anticipation of my answer.

Composing myself, I took a deep breath before answering, "I understand, Alice. In fact, I admit he has done something quite decent. He's transferred all the money in his bank account into mine. " I waited for her reaction while inwardly scoffing at my words. Decent? Yeah, right! I still can't believe he thought it was about the money. As if giving me his money would make me forgive him. Obviously he didn't realize that you just can't but someone's feelings. It just shows- men like him can never truly love anyone.

For a few minutes, there was silence on the phone. I suppose it was hard for Alice to digest what I had just said. Then, her voice came back. "I- I don't know what to say, Bella. I mean, I know it doesn't make up for what he did, but after this…do you think you could eventually stop seeing him as a monster?"

Interesting question. Obvious answer. NO! Of course I couldn't. But I needed Alice to believe this wasn't the case, that I had actually forgiven him. Although she loved me, it was apparent that she would never help me in my plan to get back at him and hurt him like he had hurt me. No- this wasn't something I could share with her. And so, my act commenced.

In a soft voice, I said, "I think I already have. Not that I've forgiven him completely, but after what he did, it's kind of hard to hate him."

I could practically feel her happiness radiating through the phone but in an attempt to contain it, she asked in a semi-sober tone, "So, what now?"

"Well, " I replied carefully. "We've decided on a truce. I guess we'll just see how things go from there."

"Great! Seriously, Bells, you can't imagine what a relief it is to me to realize that my brother is still humane enough to try and make amends."

"But listen, I need your help. No matter what you do, please don't let Edward know that I've told you about him. He probably suspects that I have but don't confirm this, okay?"

Before she could protest or ask questions I added a genuine reason. "I just don't want you guys to have a huge confrontation because of me. It'll make things a lot more awkward for me and I really just want to put all this behind me. Move on, you know? So please, don't mention a word of what I've told you."

I crossed my fingers, hoping she'd agree. Fortunately, she did. "You're right. Although I really want to kick him for being such an ass, this concerns you and him only. I won't do anything you don't want me to."

"Thanks, Al. I really appreciate it. " I smiled. At last, something truthful!

"Well, okay then. You can go back to Jazz now. Tell him I'm sorry for stealing you for so long."

She giggled. "Oh, I'm sure he doesn't mind! I doubt he's noticed I've gone. He'd have to stop playing the PS3 for that!"

I rolled my eyes. "Men! Anyways, I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye." I hung up after she said goodbye and smiled. This was going exactly the way I wanted it to! Grinning like a Cheshire cat, I opened my bedroom door and went to the kitchen. As luck would have it, he was right there, bending in front of the fridge. And okay, I might have checked him out…a bit. But hey, I couldn't see his face so I could easily imagine him to be someone else. A very _hot_ someone else at that!

As thought sensing my eyes on him, he turned towards me in one swift motion. Clearly he was shocked at seeing me there since he dropped the apple he was holding, but recovered his sense soon enough to catch it before it touched the ground.

"Bella-"

"Edward-"

We both started at the same time then smiled awkwardly. I gestured for him to go first.

"What are you still doing here? I mean, I'm glad that you haven't left, of course but I would have thought, well, now that you have the money- you'll bolt."

It was quite creepy the way the seemed to know what my original plan was, but I let it go. Shaking my head, I said, "Nope. It will take me at least a few weeks before I find a decent flat and I do have a contract to fulfill."

He seemed surprised when I mentioned that and said, " You know I'm not going to hold you on to that. But please stay here for however long it takes to find a nice place to live. Don't rush into anything. Judge all your options _very _carefully."

His attempts at making me stay for as long as possible would have been cute were I not sickened by him. As it was, his unintentional adorableness didn't affect me…not much anyways.

"But there is something I'd like to do."

"What is it?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

Taking a deep breath, I replied, "I want to go back to college." This had been a crucial decision for me and after much deliberation, I decided I wanted to go ahead with it. Turns out, I missed college…a lot! Never thought I would have but I really missed my classes, the lectures- everything!

Edward didn't hesitate. "Of course. That's a great idea! If you need anything, any paperwork that needs to be done, any other arrangements, please tell me. I will be more than happy to help you out!"

His eager expression would have reminded me of a puppy, but I settled for talk show host. I smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but I've got it sorted out. The paperwork's been filled and I'll be starting the next week. I just wanted to let you know that you might want to start looking for a new house-sitter."

He gave me rueful grin. "Oh, Bella. No one could ever be a substitute for _you!_"

And cue my damn blush. If I hadn't been intent on making him fall in love with me, I would have been quite pissed off. On the contrary, seeing him wet his lips lightly with his tongue at the sight of the red that spread from my cheeks, down my neck and just below the neckline of my blouse gave me satisfaction. _Oh yes, _I thought. _This will be easier than I thought._

* * *

**A/N: Well, obviously Bella isn't as oblivious to Edward's presence as she'd like to think. But she seems pretty determined to go through with it. Best of luck Bells!**

**As always, please review and let us know your thoughts :)**


	25. Backfire

**A/N: Hey guys! We're really sorry for the reeaallyy late update! Both of us were actually outta town and once we got back, we had loads to do at school so yeah..Anyways, enjoy! :D**

One month later

For once, things were actually somewhat under control and were going rather well. I had joined college again and was about to complete my senior year. It was very exciting going back to school as I had a million things to distract me- reports, tests, parties, new friends… After a really long time, I felt like I was falling back into my own routine which I had before this whole drama unfolded.

I was in a better mood ever since re-joining college and I couldn't wait till I graduated and found an actual job- not some shitty job like house-sitting. I felt like I could finally achieve all that I was going to before my parents' deaths and Edward. I no longer felt helpless and defeated. I fought for myself and now, I was standing on my own two feet, I was going to graduate soon and start a new job. I felt confident and sure of myself.

And one thing is for sure- no douchebag could _ever_ mess with me now! I smirked while folding the laundry and thinking about what would happen if some douchebag _did_ try to mess with me. He better not…for his own sake.

The plan was also going really well till that one day…My smirk faded and was replaced with a blush when I remembered what happened the other day…

Flashback

A few days had passed after we had declared the 'truce' and I knew that I needed to put phase 2 of my plan into action. So, with that in mind, after taking a shower that day, I wrapped myself only in a small towel instead of changing inside like I usually did. I knew the effect I would have on Edward when he saw me dressed like this. It was gonna be pure torture for him, I thought gleefully. So, I stepped out carefully, all ready to put phase 2 into action when I got the shock of my life.

Edward was coming right out of his room, only wearing a…towel. It looked like even he had just gotten out of the shower and at that moment, he was pure perfection. His bronze hair was wet and more tousled than ever, his cheeks had a faint flush from the heat of his shower and his body…God…he had dried off but a few drops of water were still running down his toned abs making him look so goddamn sexy.

Looking at him, I just blanked out completely and a wave of desire washed over me. Then, I came back to my senses, and realized how utterly idiotic the whole situation was- both of us in itty-bitty towels. I just lost it there and then. I looked up at him and I saw that his green eyes were so, so dark and were smouldering into mine as he looked me up and down with a smirk on his face but raw hunger and passion in his eyes.

I couldn't take it anymore. I started blushing furiously and before either of us could say anything, I rushed past him into my room and stayed in there for the rest of the evening. I couldn't believe that the plan had backfired like that! Even the next morning, things were extremely awkward between us and I was really embarrassed by the way I had ogled him yesterday. We never talked about what happened after that but I know that both of us won't be able to forget it for a very, very long time.

End Flashback

I finished folding the laundry and got up to keep it in my closet. Then I picked up Edward's clothes- since I was technically his house-sitter even now- and went into his room to dump them there. He looked up from his laptop and said, "Thanks. Listen, Emmett is gonna be here in a while…I hope that's not a problem." I was secretly pleased that Emmett was coming since we had hit off rather well and it had been a while since I had last seen him. I tried not show it to Edward and instead asked calmly, "Is Rosalie coming too?" Emmett was cool. His girlfriend, Rosalie was a different case…

"No. She has some other plans tonight." I tried not to look too happy and said, "Well, ok. I'll be out in the living room if you want anything." I turned and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Then, I picked up my laptop and settled down in the living room to do some homework. I had a paper to write which was due in 2 days. I began writing the rough draft of the essay. Once I was satisfied, I edited it a bit and in about an hour, I was done. I was just finished when I felt the couch sink next to me. I looked up and saw Edward sitting next to me, regarding me carefully. We had started spending more time together after the truce and had even managed to have a few actual conversations which did not involve any arguing, screaming or shouting- just our playful bickering at times.

I shut my laptop and said, "So…what were you doing all this time while I was working?"

He smiled softly and said, "I was actually looking for a new job."

I looked at him, surprised. He had not mentioned that he was looking for one. But, he did have to get one fast. He had lost his 'old one' and was practically broke because of me. Cue internal smirk. "Well", I said, "that's nice. So did you find anything?"

"Yeah.", he said with a shy smile. There's a post available as a consultant in this company called Omega Consultancies. It's a pretty good consulting company and it seems nice. The interview is on Monday."

"Wow! That's great! Hope you get it." I said.

"Yeah, me too.", he said.

We didn't say anything for a few minutes and it was pretty awkward. But I was glad that Edward was finally trying something new. He _had_ changed for the better…sort of. As I thought about this, I suddenly realized that I didn't know what Edward did the year he was in Italy. He obviously did not have a job there, since he came back. I decided that now was a good time to ask him about this.

I cleared my throat and said, "So, Edward, you never told me what you did during your stay in Italy." I had to work hard to keep my tone smooth and calm and my face blank. I also had to make sure that the statement came out as a question and not some sarcastic remark. It was hard, but I managed to do it. He visibly tensed and looked half-uncomfortable and half-guilty. The same expression he had on his face every time I asked about something related to the whole heist. But he better man up and start to deal with it 'cause boy, I needed some answers. Good, honest answers.

He cleared his throat and said, "Umm…well…basically, right after I left you- he choked a bit on that- I was a complete mess. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life- walking away from you. So for the first couple of days, I just slept for the whole day in the hotel room while my mind was assaulted by millions of memories of you. You laughing, talking, smiling, sleeping, reading…It was unbearable. But the worst part was the guilt. I was so full of guilt and self-loathing that every time I even thought of you, I couldn't bear it. I couldn't believe that I had done something like that to you. By night, I used to be so emotionally tired that I used to go the bar in the hotel and spend the whole night there. It used to make me forget, even if it was for a couple of hours. The mornings used to be the worst. I used to have a massive hangover and the memories would start the second I gained consciousness. And the guilt began to eat me up. I slowly began to lose my mind like this. This went on for a month or so.

Then one day, I finally came to my senses and decided that enough was enough. I had to stop this madness. So I stopped going to the bar every night. I reduced it down to once a week. I started to explore the city. I went everywhere. The museums, cathedrals, palaces. It was a refreshing change and slowly, things began to get a lot better. I never stopped thinking about you for a second and even now, I still feel extremely guilty every time I look at you. I don't think that I can ever get over the amount of guilt I have inside of me for doing whatever I did to you.

After about 3-4 months, I took up a few different things. I went hitch-hiking through Italy for a couple of months. Then I took up a photography course and pursued that for a while. But even after almost a year, I still couldn't get you out of my head for even one second. I realized- a little too late- that I had made the worst mistake of my life. I had hurt the person I loved the most in the worst way possible and had walked away from her. So I decided to come back and make things right, no matter how long and whatever it took. _I had to make things right with you._

So I came back, prepared to hunt you down, wherever you were in Seattle, get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness. But I got the shock of my life when you turned out to be my _house-sitter_! I didn't know how to handle the situation and completely lost it. And seeing you for the first time after a year was too much for me. I completely lost control and that is why I was such a jerk to you for the first couple of days. I know that it is no excuse and I know that I was an insufferable idiot, but I promise you that I will never be that guy ever again. I can't afford to ever hurt you in any way and lose you again. I was completely broken when I left you- and I know that it's really hypocritical of me to say that to _you_ of all people, but it's true. I can't bear to break any of us ever again, especially you. You mean so much to me Bella. Too much."

We had talked about the whole drama once or twice and it was always a stiff and overly-polite conversation. But this time, for the first time, I felt like Edward had finally opened up to me completely and had told me the entire truth. This was a side of Edward I had never seen before. The one in which he was vulnerable and actually showed some true emotions. I didn't know what to do with this side of his. I was not used to it. I could handle cocky Edward and arrogant Edward pretty well. But I wasn't sure what I was going to do when he was like this- all sincere and honest with raw emotions on his face. I could tell that he had definitely changed, there was no doubt about it, but I still didn't know whether I could trust him completely. I looked at him and saw that he was waiting for me to say something.

So, I said quickly, "Wow. Ok…I really appreciate whatever you told me just now…I know that it must have been pretty hard for you. And I'm really glad you told me everything honestly when I asked you to. But it still doesn't change anything. We are still on a truce, and if you mess with me again, you'll be sorry." I said this teasingly but with a serious undertone. He should know that I actually meant it. He would not be getting away from me again if he pulled off something like that ever. He smirked and gave me a playful salute. Then, nodded to show that he took me seriously. I smiled at got up to put my laptop in my room. The bell rang and Edward got up to open the door.

"HEY BITCHES! I'M HERE!" I could hear Emmett's booming voice all the way to my room. "Eddie boy!", I heard, followed by a loud grunt. That must mean Emmett was giving Edward one of his famous bear hugs. I smiled and made my way outside. "Bellsy! I missed you!" Emmett yelled and bounded over to me and pulled me up in his giant arms. He squeezed so hard, that he almost cut off my air supply. "Emmett! Put me down! I need to breathe!"

He laughed and released me and I thankfully gulped in a huge breath. He made his way to the TV and pulled out a CD. Guitar Hero. Oh God. No. I heard Edward moan quietly and I mentally prepared myself for the long evening I was going to have to face.

**So...what did you guys think of the way Bella's 'Ultimate Plan' backfired? :P If I were in her place, I wouldn't be complaining! ;)**

**A/N: Review, review, REVIEW for more! :P **


	26. Stupid Guitar Hero!

**A/N: Okay, so reaallly late update for which we apologize. In our defense, we had tests and then christmas and then new year…but I guess that's no excuse.**

**Anyways, this chapter the longest yet so hopefully you'll forgive us. **

* * *

BPOV

How? How did I end up in this situation? How exactly did my brilliant mind concoct such an amazing plan that would inevitably lead to disaster? I swear my brain hates me. Why else, pray tell, would I ever have landed up where I am right now?

And where am I, you ask? Well, I am currently in front of the mirror, in an extremely short skirt with stockings underneath (not fishnet though- I have _some _respect) and a way too tight top. Alice had come over earlier to do my make-up, clearly not trusting me to do it myself. But I can't say I blame her.

Even though I wasn't a complete disaster when it came to make-up, I could never in a million years have made myself look as hot as I did now. Well, my face at least. Somehow, Alice had transformed my dull brown eyes into smoky, sultry ones, my big fat mouth (which was responsible for my current predicament) into a pair of plump, red lips as inviting as any.

So why was I standing in front of the dresser looking like a sex goddess (Alice's words) or a prostitute (my words)? Why, I was getting ready for my date of course! With none other than- you guessed it!- Edward Anthony Cullen.

No, seriously. I. Was. Going. On. A. Date. With. Edward. Cullen. And it was no one's fault but my own. It was me who opened her HUGE MOUTH last night when when we were playing Guitar Hero. Stupid, stupid, stupid Guitar Hero.

Okay, I have to admit, it was kind of fun playing Guitar Hero. Once I had gotten the hang of it, it had been pretty amusing to watch Emmett sulk when he lost (which was almost all the rounds) last week. Edward, however, wasn't nearly as easy to defeat. But I still won.

And so, it became a routine for me to play with Edward almost every day after I came back from college. Yesterday had been a particularly stressing day...

~Flashback~

"_Ha!" I practically yelled in satisfaction as I won yet another round. "In your face, bitch! Let's face it- I'm the best! Whooo!"_

_I admit, jumping up and down on the couch was a bit too far, but ever since I started college again, I could use every opportunity I had to blow off a little steam. Or a lot of it._

_I guess a week full of my gloating was too much. Edward rolled his eyes. "You know, you're only winning because I'm letting you."_

Uh-oh_. BIG mistake. I stopped jumping immediately and turned to him slowly._

_Deliberately, very slowly, I asked, "What did you just say to me?"_

_He just shrugged. "What? It's true. I could kick your ass in this if I wanted to."_

_Okay, here is something you need to know. I am competitive, like, HUGELY competitive. I'm talking not-letting-the-jogger-in-the-park-overtake-me-no-matter-how-tired-I-am competitive. You can understand why, when someone tells me they're letting me win, even if it something as small as Guitar Hero, I would get PISSED._

_Outwardly though, I appeared as cool as a cucumber, "Huh. You wanna bet on that pretty boy?"_

_Inwardly, of course, I was delirious with joy. There is no way he was better than me. I prayed he'd take the bait because, well, what could be more perfect than to have Edward under my thumb?_

_He shrugged, obviously too blinded by his arrogance. "Sure, what's the prize?"_

_My answer was instant. "Anything. The winner can ask the loser to do anything and the loser can't say no."_

_He gave a devilish smile. "Anything, huh?" _

_I would be lying if I said that his smile didn't almost caused me to need an underwear change. _Almost.

"_Alright, I'm in," he said._

_There was something in his expression that made warning bells go off in my head. That right there should have been my cue to back down from the challenge. But NO! _

_What followed were probably the most embarrassing minutes of my life. In summary, I got my ass well and duly kicked. His score was more than triple of mine. Needless to say, my reaction was not in the least graceful._

"_Fuck" I exclaimed. "I give up! How the hell do you do that? It should be physically impossible for anyone to have reflexes like that!"_

_Edward smiled at the pout that was currently gracing my face. "Well, I suppose the fact that I play the guitar might have something to do with it. "_

_My jaw dropped. "Th-th-that's completely unfair! And wait, since when, exactly, do you play the guitar?"_

_He gave me a way too innocent expression. "Didn't I mention it before? Oops, silly me. Anyways, now, for my reward."_

_Now I was scared. I _had _said anything. As in, _ANYTHING! _What if he demanded sex? He could, you know. He is that kind of a person. And then what could I say? Well, I could always say no. But then, what if he forced me? No, even _he _wouldn't do that! Would he? No, no, NO! Of course not._ Besides_, I thought gloomily, _once he started his seduction, I doubt I would be protesting_. Hey, I knew what an effect he had on me, alright? _

_He must have noticed the tension on my face. He put his hands on my shoulders and said, "Breathe, Bella. It's jut a game. Not the end of the world, you know."_

_Okay, not helping to have physical contact with him. _

"_Relax," he instructed. "It's not like I was gonna ask you to have sex with me or something!"_

_I looked up at him in shock. What? B-b-but then...wait, WHAT?_

_He must have seen the blatant disbelief on my face for he looked offended- seriously offended. _

"_You actually thought I would do that? Force you to have sex with me?"_

_On my silence he continued, "I can't believe it. Seriously? Is that what you think of me? I just- ugh! You know what, just forget it. Forget we had a bet, okay? God! It's fine. Whatever."_

_And with that he stalked off to his room, slamming the door behind him- LOUDLY. Okay, I felt bad. More than that, I felt guilty, which is completely unfair after what the guy did to me. But then, I supposed that was the difference between him and I. I cared about other people's feelings, even if the person was an , I was extremely curious to know what _did _he want me to do._

_I got up and went to his room, knocking softly. His reply came so late I almost went away- but it came; in a low 'come in'._

_Stepping hesitantly into the room I spotted him lying on the bed with his hands behind his head. But more importantly, I noticed that he had changed into his night attire, namely, a pair of pajamas and...nothing else. That's right. I had stepped right into Adonis' lair and there was no way I could stop myself from checking him out. _

_I stood, mesmerized, as memories of our time together came rushing to me. How amazing those steel abs had felt under my hands, how those long legs had entwined with mine, how his heartbeat had sounded through his perfect chest. I completely lost the ability to think coherently- well, that is, until the sound of him clearing his throat shook me out of my thoughts. _

_Not that tearing my face away from his body, only to look into his hypnotic eyes was any better. But at least I remembered why I had come into the room._

"_I'm sorry," I squeaked. Then, clearing my throat, I spoke in a lower voice, "I'm sorry, Edward. I probably shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion so quickly. You didn't deserve it."_

_Yes you did!_

"_It's fine. I did deserve it, Bella. I don't blame you for thinking so low of me. It's not like my actual demand was much better anyway."_

_Now, I was definitely intrigued. "Go on," I encouraged him. "Tell me what was your demand."_

_He sighed and said, although in a very self-disgusted way, "I was going to ask you out on a date."_

_I have to say I was surprised. I guess my reaction hadn't been for nothing. Forcing me to go out with him was bad too, on a much smaller level though. But I was glad he had decided to cancel the bet. _

_Although, a sly part of my brain thought, looking at his body, it might not be so bad. I mean, I was obviously planning on making him fall in love with me anyway right? And after all that he said before Emmett had come last week- surely _some_ of it was true. I mean, he definitely had some feelings for me. Maybe that was enough for me to make my move. I had to start somewhere!_

_With his shirtless image ingrained in my brain and his fresh, Edward-y scent attacking my olfactory senses I said the most stupid words I could have said, "I wouldn't mind that."_

_Seriously. I agreed. I thought he went into shock since he didn't say anything for five minutes. That was the perfect opportunity for me to take back my offer, but I didn't. Instead, I just stood there like a loser, waiting for _him_ to say yes. It was ironic how the tables had turned._

_When he recovered his ability to speak he said, "Really?" _

_And so, ladies and gentlemen, I passed up my last chance to avoid the imminent catastrophe and nodded. I swear that must have triggered a spring or something because he leaped out of the bed and hugged me- tightly. I was too stunned to do anything other than put my arms around him. I could feel his rock-hard abs pressed up against me. Needless to say, resistance was futile. _

"_Thank you," he whispered softly into my ear. "I promise you won't regret this."_

_Pulling himself away from me after a few moments, he gently kissed my forehead and said, "I can't wait for tomorrow evening." Wait, tomorrow? As in, TOMORROW? Shit! I struggled to find something- anything- to say I couldn't make it but my brain refused to work. Instead, I gave him a smile and returned to my room where I collapsed on the bed right away._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Waking up the next morning, my only thought was... _FUCK!

_~Flashback~_

And _that_, was how I ended up in this situation. I wonder if they give away awards for masochism, because I would definitely win it, hands down.

In either case, since today was Saturday, I didn't have college, so obviously I couldn't have told Edward that I have a stay back or something. Nope, nothing could save me now.

Maybe this was good for my plan, though. It's just that I would have liked to have some more time so that I could make things go my own way. But too late for that. I couldn't control it.

One thing I could have controlled, however, was what I considered to be my third biggest mistake in life (the first being falling in love with Edward and the second agreeing to this date)- which was to call Alice. Honestly, what was I thinking? Correction, I clearly was NOT thinking.

The result was predictable. She had freaked out completely, thinking I had forgiven her brother and was seeing the Edward as the genuinely nice person he was. GAG. I'm pretty sure she'd already begun planning our wedding and when Alice gets enthusiastic, there's no stopping her.

In less than ten minutes I had a pixie ringing the doorbell and shooting straight into the house- but not, as I would have thought, to go to my room. Instead, she flew into Edward's, who of course, was shell-shocked. The last I saw of him was when she dragged him inside the room (she is surprisingly strong).

I knew, the moment she emerged from the room, looking as though she'd won the lottery, that calling her had been a BIG mistake.

She dragged me to my room and then proceeded to tell me that there had been a change of plans. My relief at the fact that the date was somehow cancelled was momentary, as she went on to explain that Edward and I were not, as had been planned earlier, merely going out for dinner. Oh no. We were now going... any guesses? Huh?

To a _NIGHTCLUB_! No good old-fashioned movie and dinner for us. Instead our first date was to be a _nightclub! _That is, dancing. And not the ballroom kind, either. More of the grinding variety.

Obviously I was horrified. This was NOT the plan. And something told me Edward wasn't too happy with change either. But Alice is Alice. Telling her no is like getting a peanut to dance. It simply doesn't happen.

I admit I had initially thought that I could get out of this. I fully intended to go back to the original schedule the moment she was out of sight. I mean, it's not like she could have known where we went, right? WRONG! And, for the following reasons:

a) She had dressed me in something that I couldn't wear anywhere except for a club.

b) She had made Edward cancel his reservation and there was no way he could get another one by tonight in any decent restaurant.

SHE WAS GOING TO BE THERE! That's right. Alice was going to be at the club herself! Apparently, she didn't trust me (can't say I blamed her) and so, she and Jasper would be going to the club so that she could 'keep an eye on us'. Like we were five years old.

She assured me that she would at no time come over and interact with us. She also told me that her presence would not be known to Edward. As if that was any comfort. She then kissed me on my cheek and left to ready for her own date- which was, in fact, just a spy mission.

...

So there I was. Going out on a date I didn't want to, wearing clothes I didn't want to and going someplace I definitely didn't want to.

All I could say was, they better have booze- LOTS of it. That was the only way I was going to get through the night.

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**A/N: Okay, so who could have seen that coming? To be honest, we hadn't thought of it until recently ourselves :P**

**Also, we'll probably be wrapping up in another 5-6 chapters (sadly). It might seem weird right now with the way things are…but it'll all become clear in the next couple of chapters. We have a plan (evil smile…). And don't worry…it's HEA.**

**We'd like to thank all our readers and reviewers :D I know we've become a bit ungrateful in the past few weeks but honestly, we really appreciate your views and support :D Please continue to read and review :)**


	27. Drunk

**A/N: Surprise! An early update. I figured after all the recent delays, you guys definitely deserve this for sticking around :D It's a pretty long chapter too!**

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BPOV

An hour later I found myself sitting in a tiny booth in one of the loudest and biggest clubs in Seattle. And boy, was I having a blast. Don't get me wrong- the new Bella is a party girl. I just love to go out and have a crazy, wild night just drinking and dancing. But I did not want to be left alone in a booth while Edward spent more than half his time fighting in the crowd to get our drinks, on a date.

I would have preferred to go somewhere nice and casual. _But Bella_, a tiny voice in my head said_, you won't be here in the first place if you hadn't opened your big mouth._ I told it to shut up because, unfortunately, it was right. I should have just kept quiet and life would have gone on, nice and simple. But Bella Swan's life never is nice and simple, is it? I sighed and looked around the crowded club.

There were people dancing-though I can't really call it _dancing_- on the floor, moving in time to the loud and peppy beats of the music blasting through the speakers, a few people were sitting in booths while there were many others who were making out in dark corners of the room. So yeah, it was the epitome of a cliché bar. A couple of guys caught my eye and gave suggestive looks but I just looked away. I was here with a guy on a date. And where in the world was the said guy anyway?

Just then, I saw him make his way towards our booth with two beer bottles in his hands.

"Sorry. It's insane over there! Every time I gave my order, the bartender just ignored me and flirted with the girls. Finally, I lost it and started yelling at him and after a couple of threats and dirty looks later, I finally got these!"

He held up the bottles like they were trophies or something and had a big, silly smile on his face. He looked so proud of himself that I couldn't help but give him a big grin in return. He was just too cute for his own good. Wait what? Huh. I've just had one beer. That definitely wasn't the alcohol talking. I guess i need to have better self-control. Focus Bella!

"No, it's ok." I said. He smiled and sat down across me. He slid the beer over and I took it gratefully. I took a big sip and set the bottle down. He was looking around the bar. And yes, things were pretty awkward. I was suddenly glad the music was so loud- now we won't have to talk to each other so much. I shudder to think what would have had happened if we had actually gone out on a proper date.

"So." He said, clearing his throat. "How're things at college?"

"College is great!" I said and launched into a whole speech about my latest project and what I was going to do. When I was done, he looked pretty impressed and said teasingly, "Well, what do you know. Our little Isabella has grown up." I laughed and took another sip of my beer.

Suddenly, I got a text. I opened it and read_, Bella we're here. Don't look right now but I'm sitting in one of the private booths-near the bathrooms. Oh, you two look like you're having so much fun! You're sooo cute together! :P_ _-A_

That sneaky, little pixie. I subtly turned my head towards the private booths and saw Alice sitting with Jasper. I glared at her and she just laughed and winked at me. Quickly, I punched in a text, _Alice! God, it's all your fault! I hate you! _ My phone buzzed after a few minutes. _I love you too! ;) Now go, enjoy your date. I'm not here. :P –A_

Scowling, I put my phone away. Edward looked at me and said, "Are you okay Bella? You look pretty upset." Seeing his concerned face, I suddenly felt like a bitch. He was here, on a date with me and I was just acting like a brat. So I took a deep breath and said, "Of course I'm fine. It's nothing." I asked him about his job applications and we small-talked for a while. We also talked about his friendship with Emmett and he soon had me in splits after telling me story after story about Emmett's shenanigans.

"Well. Speak of the devil." He muttered quietly, suddenly. He was looking above my head, at something behind me. I turned around and looked at what or who Edward was looking at and nearly died laughing. There was Emmett, in the middle of the dance floor, with a really hot and really pissed blonde girl next to him, doing the Gangnam Style dance. Emmett sure knows how to make an entrance, I thought to myself while chuckling quietly. He was paying absolutely no attention at all- not even to that blonde girl who was screaming at him to stop, who I assumed was Rosalie- and went on dancing like there was no tomorrow. It was hilarious.

Then, things became funnier when Emmett picked Rosalie up and spun her around, while she was screaming like a banshee the entire time to put her down, and suddenly, Emmett slipped, and crashed to the floor with Rosalie in his arms. By now, everyone was looking at them and boy, did I feel sorry for Rosalie. She seemed like such a sensible girl. What possessed her to go out with a man like Emmett? Though I must admit, life will never be boring when Emmett is around.

A few people were openly laughing by now- me being one of them- and Edward ran forward to help both of them up. Once both of them were standing on their own two feet again, Rosalie gave Emmett a large smack on the back of his head, yelled _no sex for a week_ so loudly that I'm sure the entire street heard her and stalked away. Emmett looked so disappointed, as if someone had stolen his puppy or something that my heart went out to him. Though I gotta say, the idiot had that one coming. The crowd which had formed around them while this entire scene was unfolding started to thin out, and soon, everything was completely normal.

I was still laughing and when I reached Emmett and saw his face, everything got funnier and my giggles got louder. "Oh God…you should have seen yourself…it was too funny!" I gasped with tears streaming down my face. Emmett looked at me from top to bottom and said, "Well, well, well…if it isn't Isabella Swan."

"The one and only." I said, while smirking at him.

"Dude. You better go after Rosalie. She seemed pretty upset." Edward said. Pretty upset? Yeah, right.

"Oh, she'll come around. Even Rosalie Hale, the ultimate ice princess thaws when Emmett McCarty is around!" he said cheerfully. I swear, NOTHING ever gets to that man. "She won't be able to resist me for too long." He said while waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I snorted and Emmett gave me a hurt look. "What? You don't believe me? Even you can't resist ME, Bella Swan. I know you secretly want me. I know you-" he was interrupted when Edward cleared his throat, looking quite irritated. I suddenly realised he was annoyed because Emmett was here when we were on our date. And now, with Rosalie out of the picture for now, I was pretty sure that Emmett was going to be with us now. I was pretty happy with the way things had turned out.

"What, man? You wanna say something?" Emmett asked Edward looking confused.

"No." he grumbled.

Emmett gave him a bright smile and said, "Well what are we waiting for?! Let's get this party started! Come on Eddie boy!"

He grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him towards the bar. He ordered shots and we started downing them one by one. After the third one, my head started feeling a little heavy, but seeing Edward and Emmett downing them like pros, I got fiercely competitive as usual and drank more and more. After almost ten, I was completely drunk. We all were actually. Every time either Edward or Emmett said anything, I found it really funny so I burst into giggles. Edward kept on banging the counter and Emmett was yelling at each and every one.

"HEY YOU!" he yelled at the bartender. The bartender looked up confused. "What?" he said.

"YOU'RE SO PRETTY! WILL YOU MARRY ME? PRETTY PLEASE WITH CHERRIES ON TOP?!"

The poor bartender was at a loss of words when suddenly Edward banged the table so loudly, that all of us jumped. I slapped him on the arm, annoyed, while Emmett slapped him at the back of his head.

"OW! What the fuck was that for?!" he yelled. He banged the table and motioned the bartender to come closer. He did, reluctantly and then Edward started yelling, "NO EMMETT! I WILL MARRY HIM! HE'S SO BOOTYFUL! I LOVE HIM!"

The bartender started backing away, looking alarmed. I started giggling uncontrollably while Edward and Emmett started bickering and slapping each other like little girls.

"I asked him first!"

"Shut up dude! We both know he wants to marry me!"

"Have you even looked at yourself?! Why would someone wanna marry you when I'm there?!"

"You have Rosalie! You can't do this to her, me or him!" Edward hollered while pointing at the now-frightened –to-death-by-the-two-lunatics bartender.

"Watch me, bitch."

"That's it! We're going! C'mon!" Edward grabbed the poor bartender and started dragging him towards the door.

"What the hell?! Where are you taking me?! What the fuck is going on?!" the bartender spluttered.

Edward rolled his eyes and said, "We're going to get married. NOW!"

"The hell you are!" Emmett hollered. Edward released the bartender to start a fight with Emmett and the bartender took his chance and ran out of the club before anyone realized what happened.

"I WAS DUMPED AT THE ALTAR!" Edward yelled while Emmett wiped away fake tears.

Suddenly, a guy tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to dance with him, I didn't think twice and yelled a loud, happy "YES!" He grinned and took my hand and started pulling me towards the dance floor. Just as we left, I heard Edward yell behind me, "Bella! Where are you going?" I didn't answer and just followed the stranger to the floor.

We started dancing and while things were pretty simple and innocent in the beginning, they soon got wild and not-so-innocent. I was not that drunk to know that whatever was going on was wrong. I tried to loosen his hold on me but he just held me tighter. I tried to push him away but he pulled me closer. I started to panic. Why was I so freaking competitive?! My competitiveness always got me in trouble.

While I was trying to figure out what to do before things got worse, that guy was suddenly pulled off me and warm, familiar arms encircled me from behind. I could smell Edward's delicious scent and I was suddenly feeling very hot.

He put his lips close to my ear and whispered, "Bella, are you ok? Did he do anything to you?" I just shook my head and turned around to face him and was met with a very angry-yet-a-little-concerned looking Edward.

I smiled lazily at him and said, "Relax Edward. Just dance." He gave me a soft smile and started moving with me. I felt like I was on fire.

There was this crazy intensity between us and every time we touched, I felt a bolt of electricity go through me. We danced closely with his eyes locked on me the entire time. He looked so beautiful. I couldn't believe that after all that had happened between us, I was back in his arms and his gorgeous green eyes were looking into mine. He had a small smile on his perfect lips and I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to kiss him. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

Feeling bold because of all the alcohol, I inched closer to him and started running my hands up and down his back. He widened his eyes and looked shocked but happy.

"It's ok Edward." I whispered in his ear. He smiled and pulled me against him, his own hand in my hair, the other on my waist. We moved together, in time to the music. I fit in his arms so perfectly. It was like he was made for me. I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder. He sighed and then shuddered when I ran my hands slowly up his rock-hard abs and chest. So beautiful.

I looked up and he was looking at me with such raw intensity and passion that I blushed and looked down quickly. He titled my chin up and his green eyes smouldered mine. He gently tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear. He stared into my eyes and slowly shifted his gaze from my eyes to my lips. He looked conflicted. I wanted to know so badly what was going on in his mind.

He looked at me and said so softly, "Bella. May I kiss you, please?"

I barely heard it but I didn't give a shit. I knew I was going to kiss him sooner or later whether he asked me to or not. He still had too much power over me. So, without thinking about what I was going to do and how things were going to change after this- for the better or worse, I didn't know- I stood on my tiptoes and pushed my lips against his soft, eager ones.

We kissed softly for a few minutes and broke apart, both of us with silly grins on our faces. The kiss reminded me of our first kiss and the countless other ones from our time together. It was soft and sweet and felt completely right. It was like a new beginning for us. I didn't know if whatever we were doing was wrong or not but right now, I just didn't care. I was drunk, happy and the most beautiful man ever was holding me in his arms. I'd think about the consequences later. Right now, I just wanted to feel.

He leaned down again and this time the kiss was longer and more passionate with roaming hands and gasping breaths. I tangled my hands up in his hair-something I'd dreamt of ever since the first time I saw him again- and sighed. His one hand was playing with my hair while the other one was moving up and down my back. We swayed in time to the music but didn't break apart. After a year of hating him, regretting him and missing him, it was all too much. I just couldn't get enough of him. Our kisses were getting extremely heated and passionate.

I broke apart panting and said, "Let's go home." He kissed down my neck and whispered, "Okay."

"But what about Emmett?" I asked him.

"He went home long ago."

"Okay. Let's go then."

He kissed me softly and then gently took my hand and started pulling me towards the door. By then, I was so drunk and intoxicated from the alcohol and the kiss that I couldn't even think properly. I didn't know what was going on, where we were going and what we were gonna do. All I knew that Edward was with me, I wanted him and that everything was sort of okay now.

We reached home and the minute the door was shut, Edward pushed me against it and crashed his lips on mine. We fumbled around and his hands slipped under my top. I shuddered and knotted my fingers in his wild hair. I started pushing him backwards towards his room and it was pretty hard, trying to reach his bedroom while he was kissing my jaw and neck. We reached his room and I pushed him down on the bed and climbed into his lap. I started kissing his jaw when Edward suddenly pushed me back gently.

His eyes were dazed and I could tell that he was just as drunk as I was. Still, he shook his head once and said, " Shit, Bella! You're sho pretty! I love you"

Lifting my head drowsily, I traced his cheekbones with my fingers and whispered, "You're very pretty too."

He cupped my face and looked at me as though I was the most precious thing in the world, "Jesus! I want you, so much, for so long…God! I don't wanna mess things up again! I love you! And I can't lose you again! I just can't!"

He suddenly put his head in his hands and sighed deeply.I know that some people get really emotional when they are drunk and they also get the guts to say things which they can't usually say when they are sober. I was seeing Edward in his most vulnerable state and for some reason; I was finding the whole situation really very funny. I started giggling and once I started, I couldn't stop. My giggles turned into full-blown laughter and Edward looked up from his hands with an annoyed look on his face. But when he saw me laughing, he also couldn't help himself and cracked a smile. Pretty soon, we were both rolling around on the bed, laughing so hard that tears were streaming down our faces. It felt so nice, laughing for no reason, just two drunk people whose lives were really messed up. But this moment, with Edward laughing by my side, was the most perfect moment ever.

And at that point, I didn't care what had happened. I wanted him- I _needed _him.

"Come on," I straddled him and said, in what I presumed to be a seductive voice. "Let's finish what we started."

My lips attached to his automatically while our hands wandered downwards- making themselves familiar once again. I moaned softly and immediately felt his lips curving upwards into a smile. He pulled back for a second and I realized that our shirts had miraculously come off, my skirt was on the floor and his jeans were rolled down to his ankles.

He kicked them off and rolled us over, so that he was directly on top of me. His body pressed down on mine, his lips started to rain kisses down my neck and I closed my eyes.

_Bliss._

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**A/N: Okay, I know some of you are probably very angry…but don't worry. The next chapter will definitely make it better :)**

**In the mean time, please review (if only to curse us :P)**


	28. Revelations

**A/N: A really late update and I'm extremely sorry. I'm just really sad that the fanfic's about to end and didn't want to write.**

**But here it is…some explanation at least…Go ahead and read!**

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(BPOV)

Pain. That was the first emotion I registered as I regained a small ounce of consciousness. I had a splitting headache. I raised my bare arm to gently massage my head.

Wait a second. _Bare _arm? The rest of me didn't feel too covered up either. Taking a peek beneath the sheets I saw that I was just in my underwear. That was also when I realized I was not alone in my bed. The great lump next to me was a person..._Edward!_

FUCK! What the hell had happened last night? We didn't... did we? Oh shit! I remembered getting home extremely drunk, and making out with Edward (a lot). But as bits and pieces of my memory made their way back to my brain, I let out a relieved sigh.

I had passed out! The alcohol has won last night and my body had given out in the middle of our make-out fest. I also vaguely remembered that Edward's body had given up just a few seconds after I drowsily let my eyes shut, and had rolled onto my side, spooning my body from behind till we both were fast asleep.

Okay, things had obviously gotten too out of control and I...I couldn't do this anymore. I glanced at my sight and my heart gave a sharp pang as I took in his beautiful face. He looked so innocent when he slept, so calm. And yet, I knew that there was no way I could ever trust that face again.

I had to leave. I had thought I was strong enough but after what happened last night, I knew that wasn't true. It was only by chance alone that I had somehow avoided one of the most potentially catastrophic moments of my life, and the game had to end. Immediately.

Climbing out of the bed carefully without waking Edward, I went into my room and got ready as quickly as possible. After combing through my tangled hair swiftly, I started packing. Clothes, laptop, toiletries- everything I could see was thrown into one giant suitcase.

Looking around the room to make sure nothing was left, I dragged the suitcase out into the living room. I then remembered the clothes I had shed in Edward's room last night. I should probably have just left them there, but I admit I wanted to see him one last time before going.

As I recalled, he was an extremely deep sleeper and after all the drinks we had last night, there was no chance of him waking up so soon. I had checked the time a few minutes ago and it had only been 9 am.

Still, I was cautious as I entered his room. Tip-toeing around the room, I silently collected all my clothes. All my clothes were in my hand and I wanted to leave- I really did.

I just couldn't. Maybe I was a masochist but there was this strange heaviness in my heart that grew stronger every time I even thought about leaving. I guess the fact that I would never see him again was beginning to sink in.

I knew it was stupid and irrational. It would only make things worse. But in that moment, I wanted more than anything to just take as much as I possibly could. So I decided to snoop through his things, and possibly take something just as a memory. It was an extremely weird and stalkerish thing to do, but I figured that he owed me this after stealing everything from me.

I started with his desk. There were a few papers lying on top, which I brushed aside. Opening one of his drawers, I spotted a journal. _Interesting. _I took it out and stared at it admiringly. It had a hard, brown cover with the initials E. A. C embossed in it.

I opened it and the first page surprised me. It started only a few days after my 21st birthday- the day he had taken everything I had. Why would he start a journal then? Was he too bored now that he had so much money?

I shook my head and started reading...

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_September 15, 2011_

_This is so fucking useless. It's all Emmett's fault. That jackass is forcing me to keep this _diary._ I don't see how this will help. He says that I'm depressed. Well, no SHIT, Sherlock. I just destroyed the life of the person I loved. And the worst part, I can't do anything to amend it. _

_But good what will 'writing about feelings' do? Can it erase the pain that I every every fucking second? Can it close the huge hole in my heart caused by her absence? Can it ease my guilt over what I've done? Then why do I have to do this?_

_Why do I have to do anything? Nothing means anything anymore. Time, love, life- all are utterly useless without _her.

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_September 16, 2011_

_I don't know what to do. I want to go back to her, crawling on my knees, begging for her forgiveness. I miss her so fucking much! Her eyes, her face and her voice- oh God! Her voice! I'd give anything to be able to hear it once more. _

_It makes me sick just thinking about what I've done. Not only did I break her emotionally, I have also left her penniless. She is both broken and broke because of me. I wish I could do something about that at least._

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_September 17, 2011_

_I just realized,_ _I can do something! Of course! I'll give her my share. My five million! It's perfect and the least that I can do._

_It won't fix what I've done to her but I will feel so much better knowing that I haven't completely ruined her life. _

_I need to talk to Aro as soon as possible..._

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_September 18, 2011_

_FUCK! It's unbelievable! How could Aro do this? We had a deal and now he just...FUCK!_

_That bastard refused to give me the money! I went to his office today and asked for my share and he just refused! It was my fault I suppose. I should have been more careful. _

_After my I had decided that I was going to give my share to Bella, I had realized that there was no reason I couldn't go back to her myself. Sure, the money would still be gone but I could fix that. Put together with my life savings and my trust fund, I could almost return the complete amount. I didn't mind coming clean either. I knew that she might not take me back, but there was hope, and I was willing to risk everything for this chance._

_So when I went to the headquarters today, I was feeling extremely happy and optimistic. And in doing so, I let the mask I had so carefully constructed fall. My face was now an open book and Aro had been quick to read it._

_He had guessed at once what my plan was. He had apparently been monitoring me for the past few weeks and had been told by his spies that I had fallen for my latest target. Normally, I would have covered up such an accusation smoothly. But feeling positive after such a long time had made me careless. My guilt had shown in my eyes and Aro had pounced at once._

_And my weakness had cost Bella. He let me know in no uncertain terms that I was to stay away from her. No contact was to be made between us- ever! _

_I would have punched him if not for his next words. I can still hear his voice in my head, "_Don't try to strike out at me. After all, you wouldn't want anything to happen to dear _Bella, _now would you? So remember- you do anything foolish, like say, try to contact her or give her money back, and her life is over. After, of course, Felix and the guys are finished with her. In fact, I might try her out myself..."

_I had let out a low growl at his disgusting smile and barely just restrained myself from strangling him. The Volturi was a huge organization and I simply could not risk Bella's life. Instead, I had to swallow my anger and come back home empty-handed- all my hope shattered. _

_I knew at this point that it was useless for me to do anything but hide now. I'm pretty sure surrendering myself to the police would come under Aro's definition of 'foolish' and there was no guarantee that Bella would be safe even if I didn't tell the police about the entire operation. _

_So in summary, I was well and truly fucked. There was literally only one thing for me to do. RUN._

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_September 20, 2011_

_All the arrangements have been made. I'm going to Italy. I have all the documents ready, fake passport and all. In a few short hours, I'll be gone. _

_I feel so numb at the thought. I guess all this whiskey's working because the constant pain I'd been feeling this past week is barely noticeable now. But I now see her everywhere and no amount of alcohol could ever fill the hollowness I feel every time I reach out and find that she isn't here. _

_I just...I don't know. There's nothing left for me to feel anymore. How could I, when my heart is with _her. _It's always been with her. And her's had been with me...until I stomped it under my foot and shattered it into a million pieces. I can't even begin to imagine what she'd be feeling right now._

_I hope she's angry. That I can live with. But the thought of her being sad and broken as she had been before is unbearable. I know I deserve this, but does she? My beautiful, perfect girl deserves nothing but happiness. And she will have it._

_I am determined to stay away from her for her sake. Not because of the Volturi- they'll forget about this in a few months. No. I will stay away from her because of me. I was a monster of the worst kind and the last person she should be with. _

_It would take time, but she'd get over me eventually. Move on to other things...other _people._ Someone else would come along and put a smile back on her face. And that time, it would stay forever._

_Isabella Swan would be happy, even if it killed me._

* * *

Tears were streaming down my face in full force. Reading his diary, I could only relate myself to his pain too easily. It brought back all the memories of those dark days I had gone through a few days after he had left.

Behind me, I felt the bed stir. I quickly shut the journal as the sheets rustled. My back was suddenly against a warm, bare chest, strong arms wrapped around my waist, and his head fell on my shoulder.

In a drowsy voice, he moved his head towards the side and whispered against my neck, "Morning."

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**A/N: So it doesn't make what he did alright, but hopefully it does redeem him a little. And despite what last chapter may have seemed, they did not have sex. Also, I realize that the diary entries were quite short, but he wasn't really in the frame of mind to be able to write down all his emotions.**

**Anyhoo, don't forget to review! :D**


	29. Goodbye

**A/N: Hey guys. We're really sorry for the delay but our exams are about to start, so we didn't have much time. Also, I guess we were pretty reluctant to write because the end is so near. **

**Anyway, enough of excuses. Go and read!**

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Goodbye

_Tears were streaming down my face in full force. Reading his diary, I could only relate myself to his pain too easily. It brought back all the memories of those dark days I had gone through a few days after he had left._

_Behind me, I felt the bed stir. I quickly shut the journal as the sheets rustled. My back was suddenly against a warm, bare chest, strong arms wrapped around my waist, and his head fell on my shoulder._

_In a drowsy voice, he moved his head towards the side and whispered against my neck, "Morning."_

* * *

_(BPOV)_

I tilted my head in his direction and saw him with half-open eyes, his wild hair sticking up in each and every direction and a goofy grin on his face. Seeing him in this utter state of gorgeousness made the tears fall faster. He saw the state I was in and immediately wiped the grin off his face. He sat up quickly and started brushing the tears away with gentle caresses.

He looked at me with eyes full off concern and asked worriedly, "Bella. What's wrong? Tell me what happened. Please don't cry. Just calm down and tell me what's wrong."

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out his voice. I couldn't bear to hear his voice, full of worry and concern for me. If he really did care about me so much, he wouldn't have had left me broken and completely devastated last year.

He started caressing my hair, my face, my hands and was muttering random things like "It's okay" and "I'm here now" to calm me down but it was only making things worse. He needed to stop. So I picked up his diary with trembling hands and held it in front of him.

Immediately, his hands stopped their movement and fell down limply in his hands.

"Oh.", was all he said.

He looked down and for a few moments, the only sound in the room was my quiet sniffling. Suddenly, he looked up with a small, tentative smile on his face and said,

"Bella. I'm glad you found my diary. In it, I've written the things which I just imagined I would tell you some day but I knew that I would never have the guts to tell them face-to-face. I'm too much of a coward Bella in these matters. I know that I have treated you extremely badly and I know that I left you broke, humiliated and destroyed last year. And you didn't deserve it Bella. Nobody deserves to be treated that way and I'm so very ashamed of myself for all the pain and sadness I caused you. But now you know that I never wanted to do any of those things."

He paused for a moment, and then continued, "If everything had gone according to plan, you would not have had to deal with all those things which you had to just because of my despicable behavior. You deserve only the best Bella, because you're worth it. Just…just give me another chance. Please. I beg you. I'm not asking for forgiveness-hell, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself- but I need you Bella. You make me a better person. And I promise I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Just give-"

"STOP!", I yelled. "Enough! I can't take all of this anymore! Just shut up!"

He looked at me, shocked and after a few awkward moments said quietly, "What are you saying, Bella?"

What was I saying? I didn't know myself. At that moment, my mind was just a jumble of confusion, emotions and memories of things which I had tried so hard to forget. I was so confused. I didn't know what to do. I had partly forgiven him and I knew that I would be able to completely forgive him sometime in the future but I wasn't sure if I could ever trust him again.

And that was the worst part. I had grown too attached, _again_- even after all that had happened- and I couldn't control my emotions anymore. And that made me all the more vulnerable to getting hurt again. I was just so scared of getting hurt and broken again, the way I was after he left me. I wouldn't be able to survive if he hurt me in any way again. It would be just too much.

I had to leave. Now. Put as much distance as possible in between us so that he would never have the power to hurt me ever again. But…could I do it? Could I just leave him again, when he had just come back into my life? No matter what he had done to me, there was still a part of me- an utterly idiotic part- which still had some feelings for him. But… no. It was too dangerous. I _had_ to leave.

"I can't do this anymore Edward. Every second I spend with you increases the chances of me getting hurt again. And I don't think I could handle it if you ever hurt me-intentionally or not- again. So I'm leaving. Now." I said.

"WHAT?! NO. Please! You can't go! I've just found you again! I know that what I did to you is unforgivable but I was so fucking stupid at that time. I didn't know what you mean to me till I left you. I understand that you're scared and that you don't trust me but I swear on my life that I would never, _ever_ hurt you again. You mean so much to me. I love you Bella. Just give me another chance. I know I don't deserve it…I don't even deserve you…but please Bella. I don't know what will happen to me if I lose you again. Stay, Bella. I'm begging you."

He had tears in his eyes and seeing them made me completely break down. He tried to pull me close but I pushed him away and stood up quickly.

"Don't you understand Edward?! This isn't about _you_! I don't want to give you the smallest chance to ever hurt me again! I read about how you felt after all that you did to me but you will _never_ be able to imagine the amount of pain I had to endure and how much I suffered that one year! And all because of _you_! I made the mistake of falling- like an utter fool- for a jerk like you and _I will not do it again_! I can't…do it…again."

By now, the tears were flowing like a torrent down my face and Edward, God, he looked so hurt and pained and there was so much guilt on his face. I knew that he had changed for the better, that he loved me and he that had said that he wouldn't hurt me but no…it was way too dangerous.

I wished that we were a normal couple whose lives were simple and happy and blissfully perfect. But no. We were a cursed couple like Romeo and Juliet who were never meant to have a happy ending. Life sure is a bitch at times.

At that moment, I did not want anything more than to wipe the tears that were silently falling down his face and cradle him in my arms. But I couldn't. It was too risky. If I gave in to my emotions, there would be no going back.

I looked at Edward for one last time, and he had never looked so beautiful than he did at that moment. He was perfect. And he could be mine. But I had to turn my back on him and walk away. Away from the person I had loved more than anything else in the world. It was all for the 'best'.

"Good bye Edward.", I whispered in a trembling voice.

"Bella. Wait. Wait! You can't go! Don't leave me Bella! I'm so fucking sorry! But please, don't leave me!"

There was so much raw emotion in his voice and he sounded completely devastated. Hearing his pained, broken voice, I almost changed my mind. Almost. But I had no choice.

"You don't know how badly I want to stay. But I can't. I can't get hurt again. I just need some time and space. So please Edward, let me go. It'll benefit both of us. Trust me, I don't want to, but I have no choice." I said.

"Bella please…" He looked at me with eyes so full of anguish that it was unbearable to look into them.

The next thing I did was the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life.

I took a deep breath, turned away and walked away from him...From the most important person in my life.

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**A/N: So, hopefully you're all happy. Don't worry, we promise an HEA, but Bella forgiving him right away just didn't seem right. **

**But don't worry, we won't drag the story (much). We'll probably be ending it in 2-3 chapters. **

**Also, thank you so much to everyone who has read our story and supported us. Please continue to do so :D**

**That's it, I guess. Review :)**


	30. Realization

**A/N: I won't even bother apologizing for the delay (but for what it's worth, I am sorry)**

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BPOV

It's been two months now.

Two months since I walked away from him. Two months since I last saw him. Two months since I heard his voice. And two months since I realized I was in love with him.

I tried not to. I had done everything I could to stop myself from falling in love- including leaving him. I had his money, and his love (I could not deny that after reading his journal). Leaving him had been the perfect ending to my plan.

I had half-expected him to follow me. Show up at my doorstep, begging for my forgiveness. But he hadn't. He hadn't made a single attempt to contact me since I left.

That was when I realized I wanted him to. And that was also when I knew, I still loved him. But along with this epiphany had come a strong grief. He hadn't contacted me- maybe that meant he didn't care for me after all. Surely, if he loved me, he would have made some effort to bring me back.

Then, in my grief, I did the stupidest and the smartest thing I could. I called Alice. For a moment, I had forgotten that she was Edward's sister. All I knew was, she was my best friend.

I had realized my mistake almost as soon as the bell had started ringing, and was about to hang up, but that pixie was faster...

~Flashback~

_Alice: "BELLA! Where the hell have you been? Oh my God, I was soooo worried when Edward told me you left. What happened after your date? I've asked Edward but he didn't tell me. In fact, he hasn't been talking much at all. He's like a fucking zombie or some shit. Wha-"_

_I cut off her rant. "I'm fine Alice.I just couldn't cope up with everything that was happening. But it was a stupid thing to to. I realize that now and I- I..." _

_I trailed off not sure of what to say. Though I had flinched when her tirade had begun, something like hope had sprung up in my heart when she told me that Edward had become like a zombie. Could this mean...maybe he did care._

_In the meantime, Alice, with her uncanny ability to know what I was about to say before I did, said softly, "You miss him, don't you?"_

"_More than I'd like Alice. But this- it's all so messed up. I have so many emotions running within me. I'm confused about my feelings, scared of getting hurt again, sad because I haven't heard from him and plain stupid because I'm now taking advice from his sister!"_

"_Hey!" Her voice was indignant. "Don't be like that. I'm still your best friend. But first, I need to know. Do you love him?"_

_I took a deep breath before answering. "Yes," I started in a strong voice. "I do. I love him. Fuck, I love him so much. And now I've just screwed up everything by running away like that. I should have stayed an-"_

_This time it was her turn to interrupt me. "Bella. Take a deep breath. You have not messed anything up. You did what any rational person would do. You needed some time and space to think it over- it's not a crime, you know."_

"_But he hasn't tried to contact me even once, Alice!" I wailed. I knew I sounded like some whiny chick from a sitcom, but I was beyond the point of caring._

"_Maybe he doesn't love me as much as I thought. Maybe he thinks I'm not worth it."_

"_Isabella Marie Swan, don't you dare think you're not worth him for one second! If anything, he doesn't deserve a second chance. And if you think that man doesn't love you, you're deaf! Didn't you hear me? He looks like a zombie! Do you know what he was doing when I went to his house last time? Sitting in his bedroom and just looking at your picture. Seriously, he looked as though he hadn't eaten, or showered or done anything for days. I was so scared B, I almost called 911."_

_That information made me more happy than it should have. But..._

"_Then why didn't he try to contact me?" I had to know._

"_Don't you see. He thinks you deserve better than him. He didn't follow you because he loves you too much. Enough to be miserable his whole life, as long _you _can be happy."_

_By this point, tears were streaming down my cheeks. "I need him Alice. What do I do?"_

"_Okay, the first thing you need to do is take a good long shower. You sound terrible and no matter how much he loves you, I doubt he'll want you if you show up looking even half as dreadful as you sound." _

_I gave a laugh half mingled with a sob at her attempt to cheer me up._

_She continued, this time, seriously, "And listen to me very carefully. I'm going to force him out of the house, to go to the cafe round the block. Do you know which one I'm talking about?"_

_I nodded, and then, realizing she couldn't see me, said, "Yes, I know the one."_

"_Okay, so this Saturday, around 10 a.m., you and him are going to talk. Now before you tell me to arrange this meeting sooner, think about it. You need a couple of days to get your emotions in check as well as prepare what you need to say. Don't do anything rashly, and no matter what, this time, you're the one I'll support."_

_I smiled. She knew me too well. And I was eternally grateful to her for interfering in my business._

"_Thanks, Alice," my voice was filled with gratitude._

"_Anytime, Bells." I could practically hear her smile through the phone._

_Saying goodbye, we both hung up and I went to bed, feeling happier than I had in weeks._

_~Flashback~_

So here I was- standing near the cafe at 10:00 a.m. They would be coming any minute now. My heart was pounding painfully in my chest. _Ed-ward. Ed-ward. Ed-ward._

It was ridiculous. I had practised my speech very carefully. I was going to approach him when Alice 'need to use the restroom' and get straight to the point.

I was so immersed in going over the speech again and again that I almost had a heart attack when I felt a vibration in my pocket. Alice!

_We're in! I'll text you when I get up. xx- A_

Okay, I was almost on the verge of hyperventilation now. I took deep breaths to calm my self. Breathe in, breathe out. Breath in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breath i-

_Fuck!_ Another message? Already?

The text simply said- _All the best :)_

Showtime. Walking to the door of the cafe, I pushed it firmly and went in.

I didn't see him at first. Where the hell was he? I check out all the booths. Not there. What the hell? Was this some kind of a joke. I almost started to go back when I caught a flash of bronze hair in the cue.

Instantly, I knew who it was. Letting my eyes roam lower, I studied his features almost reverently. His firm jaw, his full lips and oh God, those eyes. Even when they weren't looking in my direction, I swear I could feel them burn a whole in my chest- straight into my heart.

All my fears slipped away. A new confidence spread over me. All thoughts of messing up my speech went away. I wasn't going to say it, at least not now.

I walked up towards him, feeling more and more sure of myself with each step. I didn't stop till I was directly behind him. I waited as he collected his order, and then, instead of moving away to give him space, I stood right there making him bump into me.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorr-" His sentence was cut off abruptly as he saw me face. His emerald green eyes met mine, and we stood there, not paying attention to the spilt coffee in the least.

After what seemed like an eternity, I heard someone clear their throat behind us. The sound broke into out bubble and we were brought back to reality.

Edward started opening his mouth, but I cut him off before he could say anything.

I held out my hand and gave a small smile, "Hi. I'm Bella Swan."

He looked shocked, and made no move for a long time. I'll admit, I was feeling quite tense at that moment.

Then a smile broke on his face as realization spread over him. Taking my hand in his smooth one, he said, "Edward Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you."

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**A/N: That's it then. Our baby's all grown up. Just an epilogue left now. *wipes tear***

**This has been such an amazing experience. Thank you for all of you who have read our fanfic and encouraged us to write. We appreciate it so much! **

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	31. Epilogue

**A/N: So, here it is! The epilogue! Can't believe the fanfic is actually over :'( Writing it with my friend has been an amazing experience and a BIG thank you to all our readers who read and reviewed our story and also added it as a favourite! :D And a special thank you to cullenmeadow, ADADancer and MisbahDimitri xoxo for reviewing regularly and encouraging us to write the fanfic! Seriously, we love you guys and all our readers and reviewers! :D So go ahead and see how The Ultimate Plan ends :') **

I took a deep breath and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I looked so different. My hair was curled and fell in ringlets around my face, my lips looked pouty and red, my brown eyes were framed by long lashes and there was a glow on my face.

_Breathe, Bella _I told myself. _Calm down. _But I couldn't. Today was practically the biggest day of my life. Today, I was going to marry Edward Cullen. Oh yes, you heard me right. I was going to freaking marry that idiot today.

We sure had come a long way since the day we 'met' in the coffee shop again. Things just fell into place after that. For once, everything was perfect and I had finally found the perfect guy. I started living at his place again -as his girlfriend this time- and finally graduated from college. I got nice job at a publishing company called Eclipse and he too, found a _legal_ job in some consulting company. The day he proposed, was the best day of my life till date. It could not have been more perfect…

_**Flashback**_

_Edward had taken me out for a romantic, candlelight dinner and I could tell that something was up. He looked lost and also a little nervous. He wasn't even ready to tell me what was wrong. I thought he was not feeling well so I suggested we go home and get some sleep. We left the restaurant and started walking home._

_I was thinking about just how perfect everything was-walking down the street in the crisp summer evening with his big, warm hand wrapped tightly around mine. When we reached 'our' coffee shop, I raised my eyebrows at him in confusion. He just smiled and said, "I thought you'd like a cup of coffee." He didn't seem nervous anymore. Maybe he had gotten over whatever had been troubling him. _

_He led me inside and ordered two cappuccinos and a strawberry cheesecake, my favourite. Edward seemed tense again so I took his hand in mine to calm him down. He gave me a nervous smile. His behaviour was really starting to worry me._

_The boy behind the counter brought our order and then, did the most bizarre thing. He winked at Edward and gave me a huge, shit-eating grin. Okay. That was totally weird. Shrugging my shoulders, we walked to an empty table. I took a long sip of the coffee. I put my cup down and Edward was no longer sitting in front of me. I looked around in confusion, and then saw him kneeling down on a knee next to me. Oh. My. God. _

_A huge grin broke out on my face and he gave me a nervous smile and gently took my hand. "Bella. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know that I screwed things up and I thought that I had lost you forever. But you came back to me, Bella, and you made me a better man. I can't even imagine living without you. You are my life now, and the most important thing to me, ever. So, Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?"_

_He opened a small ring box and held it in front of me with a small, hopeful smile on his face. By now, silent tears were rolling down my cheeks and I made no effort to wipe them. "Yes." I whispered. A huge grin spread on his face. He had never looked this happy before. He looked so beautiful. Ethereal. And he was going to be _my _husband now. I couldn't believe it! I was so happy. I felt like the luckiest girl on the planet. _

_He gently took my hand and slid the ring on my finger. "It's gorgeous." I breathed. "It's Esme's mother's. She gave it to me when I told her about proposing to you.", he said. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes and cupped his face in my hands. He slid his arms around my waist and stood up. He looked at me with so much love and tenderness, I thought I would die. _

_Not able to wait any longer, I pulled his face down and his lips finally met mine. It was sweet and tender but yet, so passionate. It was a promise of our new life together as husband and wife. It was perfect. _

_I don't know for how long the kiss lasted, but eventually we had to break apart for air. Panting heavily, he cupped my face and said, "I love you so much Bella." _

"_I love you too." I said with a goofy grin on my face._

_Suddenly, we heard loud hoots and someone was wolf whistling. I looked around in confusion, and saw the entire coffee shop and Alice, her boyfriend Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob and his girlfriend Vanessa, staring at us with huge smiles on their faces._

_I blushed beet red and hid my face in Edward's shoulder. He chuckled quietly and then, in a silly, high pitched voice yelled, "She said yes!" We all burst out laughing and Alice bounded over to us, squealing the entire time. "Oh Edward, that was so romantic! I'm so proud of you! And Bella! I'm so happy for both of you! And I have the perfect idea for your wedding gown, Bella! You're gonna look so beautiful! Oh, I can't wait to start planning the wedding. We're gonna have so much fun Bella!"_

_I groaned and hid my face in Edward's shoulder again. Everyone laughed and ten the others came over too. "Good one, Eddie boy!" Emmett boomed, while thumping Edward on the back. "You sure got a nice piece of-OW!", he yelled. "Rosie, I love you, but that hurt!" Rosalie just smirked at him and came over and hugged me. "Congratulations Bella!" she said. _

_We all had become great friends and hung out every weekend. Rosalie and Alice got along just fine and were partners-in-crime when it came to taking me out for shopping or dressing me up. But I loved those two, especially the crazy pixie I called my best friend._

_Jasper, Jacob and Vanessa congratulated us and we all sat down at a table. It felt amazing, to be with all my amazing friends and my beautiful fiancée. I couldn't wait for the future and all our crazy times together._

**_End Flashback_**

Well, time sure had flown and after a lot of cake tasting, menu and music planning, fittings, shopping and a great deal of screaming and shouting at Alice, everything was finally ready. I had found the most gorgeous wedding gown, Alice was my maid of honour and Rose and Vanessa were the bridesmaids.

Edward and I had decided on a small wedding with just our close relatives and friends, so we didn't have to worry about flying about a hundred, two hundred people down to Seattle for our wedding. We went to Vegas for our bachelor/bachelorette parties-yes, I know, it's extremely clichéd- and all the last minute preparations were taken care of. So all I had to do now was walk down the aisle, without tripping on my dress in my six-inch heels, say 'I do' and go to Italy for my honeymoon with Edward. Not hard at all, right?

I sighed and for the millionth time that day wished that my parents were here for my wedding day. But I knew that they were watching over me and I knew that if they were here, they would not have been happier. I wiped a tear away and took a deep breath.

Just then, the door opened and Alice, Rose, Vanessa and Esme came in. They were wearing cream coloured dresses and were all looking amazing. Esme came over and looked at me appreciatively. Esme was an amazing woman and I fell in love with her the minute I saw her. We got along beautifully and I was so happy to be a part of her family.

She hugged me and said, "Bella, you look so beautiful. Thank you for being there for Edward. Ever since he has been with you, he has changed so much. He smiles and laughs more than he scowls and frowns –like he used to before- and seems much happier than before. He loves you very much dear, and I am so glad that he has found you."

"Esme, you don't have to thank me. I love Edward because he's such an amazing person and I know that he will keep me very happy. And I'm so happy to be a part of your family now."

She smiled at me and patted my cheek affectionately. Alice came over and tucked in a few ends of the dress that were sticking out. She patted my hair once and gave me a quick once-over. Then, she hugged me carefully and said, "Bella, I'm so happy for you! You deserve it, seriously. And I know that Edward will keep you happy. He better, otherwise, I'll kill him. I swear. But really, I'm so happy we're gonna be sisters now and I know we're gonna have a blast together!"

I smiled at her and hugged her tightly. I was so lucky to have her. I wouldn't know what to do without her. "Thank you Alice. For everything."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, silly. You deserve it. So go, start your new life with my brother. And if he does anything wrong again, I will seriously kick his ass! And you look gorgeous.", she said.

"I love you Alice."

"I love you too, honey. Now stop with all this emotional drama. You're getting married today, B! C'mon!" she squealed. I laughed and wiped away the few tears that had escaped.

There was a knock on the door and Carlisle popped his head inside. "They're starting." He gave me a soft smile and said, "You look beautiful, Bella." I smiled and said, "Thanks Carlisle." He winked at me and held his hand out to Esme. "Shall we?" he said. Esme laughed, gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked out with Esme. Rose and Vanessa left too, after quick hugs and Alice and I went downstairs after them.

It was really hard walking down the stairs in the six-inch heels and I was dreading the long walk down the aisle. _Save me God._ Alice gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You're gonna do fine, Bella. Relax. It's your _wedding_, for God's sake!" She winked, opened the doors and then it was just me, standing in front of the doors. _Breathe, Bella. Chill. Relax. You're not gonna trip. _

I heard the change in the music and, taking a deep breath, pushed the doors open. I felt the eyes of all my friends and my new family on me. But I didn't care. All I saw was Edward. My Edward. He looked otherworldly. Like a God. His body looked amazing in his tuxedo and his beautiful, bronze hair was as wild as ever. And his face. He looked so happy. He was shining and his happiness was radiating off him in waves. A huge smile spread across my face and I had to restrain myself from running down the aisle and into his arms. The music was agonizingly slow and I couldn't wait till I reached the end of the aisle and was at his side again. I hadn't seen him since last night and all I wanted right now, was to be with him.

I finally reached him and he held out his hand for me. I clasped his hand tightly in mine and faced the minister. He cleared his throat and said, "We are here in the presence of God, family and friends to share with Edward and Bella, the most important day of their lives…" I got lost in my own thoughts and just started at Edward while the minister was speaking. How had I become so lucky to find a guy like Edward? And I was marrying him. It was all like a dream. A dream I never wanted to end. Ever.

"Would you like to say something?" the minister asked me and Edward. Edward smiled at me, took both of my hands in his and said, "All I want to tell this woman standing in front of me is that I love her with every part of my being and I am going to keep her happy for the rest of her life. She means the world to me and without her, my life is meaningless. She is my life and I am so grateful that she chose to be with me even after I fuc-I mean, I messed things up. I am the luckiest guy ever to call this amazing woman mine and I will never stop being amazed at my luck every time I see her. I love you so much Bella." He smiled at me and kissed my knuckles.

Tears were streaming down my face and I could only manage an 'I love you too, Edward' without breaking down completely. That was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to me. "By the power vested in me, I now declare you as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.", the minister said. Edward didn't have to be told twice. He cupped my face and crashed his lips down on mine. The kiss was intense, passionate and so tender. I flung my hands around his neck and tangled one hand up in his crazy hair. His lips moved against mine with so much love and passion, I thought I would faint from the intensity of it.

We had no intentions of stopping when Emmett suddenly yelled, "Hey! Get a room!" followed by a loud "OW!" when Rosalie and even _Esme _smacked the back of his head. We broke apart laughing and stared at each other with all our love and adoration for each other. I knew that life with Edward was going to be a roller coaster ride and I couldn't wait to start my new life as Mrs Bella Cullen.

**A/N: Aww..that's adorable! :') Review and let us know how you thought their wedding was! :D**

**Also, we may update 1 or 2 outtakes after this, so stay tuned! ;)**

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